Volkswagen will pay thousands of British drivers more than £ 2,100 each for the “dieselgate” emissions scandal.
The German carmaker will pay £ 193 million after resolving a five-year legal battle over the use of illegal software in its cars to manipulate pollution data in tests. More than 91,000 drivers in England and Wales will receive an average of £ 2,121 in compensation, which will vary depending on the car model owned and for how long.
It is believed to be the largest such deal in a group action in the UK, and adds to the more than € 30 billion (£ 26 billion) the car giant has already paid to everyone for the scandal of fines, compensation, civil agreements and repurchase plans. . It has not compensated all EU buyers.
VW admitted that it used illegal software to manipulate emissions testing in the U.S. in 2015. Investigators found that from 2008 to 2015, car models were equipped with software that recognized when a test was being tested. car in laboratory conditions, adjusting the engine to limit nitrogen oxide. emissions (NOx). On the road, emissions were much higher.
11 million cars were equipped with the devices, about 1.2 m of which were in the UK.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys argued that VW installed software to trick Audi, Seat and Skoda emissions testing tests and that low-emission data was used to entice customers to stay away from motor cars. cleaner gasoline.
VW did not accept any liability or loss upon reaching the agreement and said it would also contribute to the group’s legal fees. He said avoiding a six-month trial was “the most prudent course of action commercially.”
In a statement, VW said: “At the Volkswagen Group, once again, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize to its customers for the two-mode software installed on the EA189 vehicles. The Volkswagen Group will continue to work to rebuild the Volkswagen Group. trust of its customers here in England and Wales “.
Philip Haarmann, VW’s legal director, said: “The Volkswagen Group is pleased to have been able to conclude this lengthy dispute in England and Wales. The agreement is another important milestone as the Volkswagen Group continues to move forward. of the deeply unfortunate events that led to September 2015 “.
The deal was hailed as a victory by the plaintiffs’ supporters after a five-year legal battle. He was due to stand trial in January 2023.
Therium Capital Management’s Ben Smyth, who supported Slater and Gordon’s lawyers representing 70,000 of the plaintiffs, said: “Taking legal action was the only way to make sure VW would have to answer for allegedly cheating customers and deceive emission guidelines. ”
David Whitmore, CEO of Slater and Gordon, said: “The agreement avoids the need for a lengthy, complex and costly testing process and we are delighted to have reached this agreement for our customers as a result of the group action “.
VW offered to fix the affected models and began the recall in January 2016. Senior executive Oliver Schmidt was released last year after being sentenced to seven years in prison for evading U.S. laws. clean air.
The carmaker was not the only one accused of manipulating emissions data, with Ford, the owner of Vauxhall, Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover, among others, who could be sued. similar.
A 2016 report by the Royal College of Physicians said air pollution causes the premature death of up to 40,000 people a year in the UK, with particles caused by combustion engines and NOx being part of the cause.