Lauren Lantry (202) 548-6599 lauren.lantry@sierraclub.org
Washington, D.C. -- Today, Reuters reported that Volkswagen (VW) has announced another settlement with U.S. authorities over its “clean diesel” emissions scandal. This settlement covers around 75,000 3.0-liter diesel-engine vehicles fitted with so-called defeat devices. Volkswagen will either fix or buy back around 20,000 vehicles built between 2009 and 2012, with the cost fixed at September 2015 prices when the company admitted to forging emissions levels. Affected owners may also seek compensation of between $7,755 and $13,880. The rest of the vehicles will be repaired with no buy-back option, though consumers will be offered between $7,039 and $16,114 in compensation.
The agreement is set to get preliminary approval from a U.S. judge on February 14. If the fix option is not approved as part of the deal, VW’s buy-back liability would rise to $4.04 billion. This settlement adds to the automaker’s previous settlement of around $15 billion for 2.0 liter vehicles.
In the past settlement for their emissions cheating 2.0 liter vehicles, the Sierra Club previously called for Volkswagen to take the polluting cars off the road, or fix them to ensure they would meet the standard the automaker had claimed when they first sold the vehicles and before the rigging scandal was revealed. The Sierra Club also called for full mitigation for the emissions from the fraudulent vehicles.
In April, Volkswagen announced that it is increasing its investment in producing electric vehicles.
In response, Sierra Club Associate Director for Federal Advocacy Andrew Linhardt released the following statement:
“Volkswagen’s actions were as dangerous as the sickening smog their vehicles left behind, but this settlement, by removing or fixing many of the vehicles on the road and compensating affected consumers, is a strong step toward cleaning up Volkswagen’s dirty deceit. Volkswagen purposefully manufactured cars around the world that spewed illegal amounts of dangerous pollution, fueling sickening smog and threatening the health of millions of people. The automaker not only put profits before the health of our families and our planet, it ripped off mindful consumers who thought they were purchasing cleaner vehicles.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 2.4 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.