Auto maker Volkswagen is expected to spend at least € 620 million to compensate more than 200,000 customers as part of an amicable settlement to end the largest “dieselgate” lawsuit in Germany, he said. this Monday. The group and the consumer association VZBV, which led the legal battle similar to a "class action" in the American way, had concluded at the end of February an agreement providing for compensation for 260,000 eligible customers up to 830 million euros in total.
Nearly 200,000 of them will receive "in the coming days" a firm offer for payment "between 1,350 and 6,250 euros" depending on the type and age of the vehicle equipped with a rigged diesel engine, says Volkswagen. They have two weeks to possibly refuse before the payment of the money "from May 5".
The scandal dates back to 2015
Some 21,000 files are still being studied while the deadline to register on the manufacturer's online platform has been extended by ten days to April 30. More than 250,000 people have registered so far, said a spokesperson for the group.
This drawer scandal dates back to September 2015, when the German automotive giant admitted to having equipped 11 million vehicles with fake software, and has haunted the German automotive industry. It is the "largest amicable settlement" in German history, according to the VZBV, which however reports "many problems" in the processing of files.
Tens of thousands of requests
If the agreement draws a line on the broadest of procedures, Volkswagen remains the subject of tens of thousands of individual claims for compensation, part of which has already resulted in friendly settlements. The amount of 620 million euros may seem relatively modest compared to the 30 billion euros that dieselgate has already cost the German manufacturer.
Most of this sum - legal fees, fines and compensation - has so far been spent in the United States, in particular to compensate customers for the recovery of their vehicles. Several group leaders, including the current CEO, Herbert Diess, and the chairman of the supervisory board, Hans Dieter Pötsch, as well as the former boss, Martin Winterkorn, and the former boss of the Audi brand, Rupert Stadler, are targeted by criminal investigations.
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