(ANSA-AFP) - FRANKFURT, 02 JAN - Car giant Volkswagen said
Thursday it would open talks on a possible settlement in a mass
lawsuit brought by hundreds of thousands of German diesel car
owners over emissions cheating.
"Volkswagen and the Federation of German Consumer
Organisations (VZBV) have agreed to enter into discussions
regarding a possible settlement," the company said in a
statement. Both VW and the VZBV said while "discussions are at a
very early stage, and there is no guarantee" of a settlement,
they hoped to find a "pragmatic solution for the benefit of the
customer".
Around 400,000 diesel owners have joined a mass lawsuit
against Volkswagen over the group's 2011 admission to emissions
cheating affecting 11 million vehicles worldwide. VW and
subsidiaries built so-called "defeat devices" into engine
control software, designed to make them appear less polluting in
the lab than in real driving conditions. The fallout from the
so-called "dieselgate" fraud has cost the company over 30
billion euros ($33.6 billion). Most of that has gone in fines,
buybacks and compensation payouts in the United State, with much
milder consequences in Europe and VW's home market Germany.
(ANSA-AFP).
© Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved