Volkswagen was found to have hidden excessive levels of toxic diesel emissions in 2015, which led to the infamous Dieselgate scandal.
The European Court of Justice has ruled that carmakers like Volkswagen remain liable for using unlawful defeat devices like temperature-sensitive emissions software, even if the vehicles met EU standards, which doesn’t guarantee the technology’s legality.
The case at the top court came up based on two German lawsuits that involved Volkswagen diesel vehicles fitted with defeat devices, either during production or through later software updates.
Additionally, the Court said that compensation to buyers can be reduced based on vehicle use or capped at 15 percent of the purchase price, but it must still adequately reflect the damage caused.
“The impact on Volkswagen is expected to be limited, as only a few diesel-related lawsuits are still pending before German courts,” Volkswagen said.
“In our view, today’s ECJ decision will not change that,” the German carmaker added.
Volkswagen was found to have hidden excessive levels of toxic diesel emissions in 2015, which led to the infamous Dieselgate scandal. It led to a lot of probes and lawsuits, which are taking years to settle.
Defeat devices are tools or software that alter vehicle emissions, triggering legal disputes over whether manufacturers misuse them to conceal true pollution levels. However, carmakers have argued that these devices only activate at certain temperatures to protect the engine and do comply with the law.
Source: Reuters
