All articles tagged with #dieselgate
Mercedes-Benz will pay up to $150 million to settle claims with U.S. states over using defeat devices to cheat emissions tests in diesel vehicles, marking a continuation of the decade-long dieselgate scandal involving automakers manipulating emissions data.
The UK’s largest group action trial alleges that major car manufacturers deliberately installed defeat devices in diesel vehicles to cheat emissions tests, prioritizing sales over legal compliance and causing significant environmental and health harm, with potential damages exceeding £6 billion.
A major lawsuit is set to begin in the UK against Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot/Citroën, Renault, and Nissan over allegations of cheating on emissions tests using defeat devices, part of the ongoing dieselgate scandal. The case could involve 1.6 million car owners and is the largest class action in UK legal history, with a verdict expected by summer 2026. The companies deny the allegations, which claim they misled consumers about vehicle emissions and continued to emit harmful pollutants.
The article reflects on Volkswagen's Dieselgate scandal, acknowledging the unethical nature of the emissions cheating but also highlighting the cleverness of the software-based deception, which allowed cars to detect testing conditions and alter emissions and performance accordingly, revealing a complex interplay of engineering ingenuity and corporate misconduct.
Despite the rise of electric trucks, diesel engines continue to dominate the heavy-duty truck market due to their superior power, durability, and efficiency, although they face environmental and cost-related challenges.
Four former Volkswagen executives were convicted of fraud related to the Dieselgate emissions scandal, with sentences ranging from suspended to prison time. The scandal, which involved installing software to cheat emissions tests, has significantly impacted VW's market share and cost the company over $33 billion in fines and compensation. While some high-ranking officials, including the former CEO, face charges, others remain under investigation, highlighting ongoing issues within the company.
Cummins, the engine maker for Ram pickup trucks, is recalling 600,000 trucks as part of a $2 billion settlement with federal and California authorities for using illegal software to cheat diesel emissions tests. The settlement includes a $1.675 billion civil penalty, the largest ever under the Clean Air Act, and $325 million for environmental damage. The scandal involves hundreds of thousands of Ram trucks equipped with defeat devices that limited nitrogen oxide pollution during tests but allowed excess emissions during normal operations. This marks another major emissions scandal in the automotive industry following similar cases involving Volkswagen, Fiat Chrysler, and Daimler.
Former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has been given a suspended sentence of one year and nine months and fined €1.1m ($1.2m) after being convicted of fraud for his role in the diesel emissions scandal. Stadler admitted to allowing Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche vehicles equipped with manipulating software to remain on sale even after the scandal had become public knowledge. Two co-defendants, former head of engine development Wolfgang Hatz and a former leading engineer identified under German privacy laws only as P, were also sentenced.