The German car group Volkswagen has reached a settlement in the United Kingdom of 193 million pounds, converted into 227 million euros, over the diesel scandal.
The settlement was reached with a group of approximately 91,000 owners of cars from Volkswagen and its subsidiary brands Skoda, Audi and Seat. They had filed a joint lawsuit against Volkswagen in 2016 for the tampering with the emissions of diesel engines.
Volkswagen will also pay compensation for, among other things, the legal costs of the plaintiffs, but says it will not make any concessions on liability. The company argues that the settlement will prevent high costs for lawsuits and appeals. “The Volkswagen Group is pleased that we have been able to close this lengthy legal process in England and Wales,” a statement said.
The company also speaks of a new milestone in closing the “deplorable events” surrounding the diesel scandal that came to light in 2015. In addition, with special software, the emissions of diesel cars during tests were lower than they were in reality. Volkswagen has had to spend billions worldwide on settlements and fines for the scandal.
The law firm that assisted the complainants says it is proud of the deal reached with Volkswagen. “The settlement eliminates a long, complex and expensive process and we are pleased to have reached this settlement for our clients in the mass claim.”