Volkswagen faces new front on emissions legal action
Volkswagen is facing new legal action over its emissions scandal, which has been ongoing since 2015. Here are some key points:
New lawsuit: A new lawsuit has been filed against Volkswagen in the United States, alleging that the company's diesel vehicles emitted excessive levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) in violation of federal emissions standards.
Class-action lawsuit: The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeks to certify a class of all Volkswagen owners and lessees of affected vehicles in the United States.
Affected vehicles: The lawsuit covers approximately 475,000 Volkswagen vehicles in the United States, including the 2009-2015 Golf, Jetta, Beetle, and Passat models with 2.0-liter diesel engines.
Emissions violations: The lawsuit alleges that Volkswagen's diesel vehicles emitted up to 40 times the legal limit of NOx and PM, causing harm to the environment and public health.
Previous settlements: Volkswagen has previously settled with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) over the emissions scandal, agreeing to pay $14.7 billion in fines and settlements.
New allegations: The new lawsuit alleges that Volkswagen's emissions cheating was more widespread and intentional than previously disclosed, and that the company failed to disclose the true extent of the emissions violations to regulators and the public.
Potential damages: The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, including compensation for the harm caused by the emissions violations, as well as punitive damages for Volkswagen's alleged wrongdoing.
Volkswagen's response: Volkswagen has not commented on the new lawsuit, but the company has previously denied any wrongdoing and has argued that its emissions testing was in compliance with regulatory requirements.
This new lawsuit is just the latest development in the ongoing emissions scandal, which has had significant consequences for Volkswagen and the automotive industry as a whole.