Volkswagen Group Fined an Additional $1.18 Billion for Emissions Cheating, More Suspects Emerge at Audi
In 2017, the U.S. hit Volkswagen with a $4.3 billion fine as part of the company’s plea agreement for violating of the Clean Air Act. It was a rough ride for the automaker, caught using defeat devices on its diesel engines, but it brought the scandal more or less to a close in America.
An ocean away, it seemed nothing would come of the endless raids by German authorities on VW-owned facilities. Apparently, the wheels of justice just turn a little slower in Europe, as the automaker was fined 1 billion euros on Wednesday. It’s one of the largest financial penalties ever imposed on a company by German authorities.
According to Reuters, Volkswagen is not contesting the penalty. “Following thorough examination, Volkswagen AG accepted the fine and it will not lodge an appeal against it. Volkswagen AG, by doing so, admits its responsibility for the diesel crisis and considers this as a further major step toward the latter being overcome,” the automaker said in a statement.
Meanwhile, German investigators continue pushing forward with ongoing investigations. On Monday, the European feds ordered Daimler to recall roughly 240,000 cars fitted with emissions-control devices — part of a total of 774,000 models affected on the continent.
Munich prosecutors also expanded their emissions cheating probe into VW’s luxury brand, Audi. Suspects accused of fraud and false advertising now include the brand’s chairman and CEO after an official announcement on Monday.
“Since May 30th, 2018 the chairman of the board of Audi AG, Prof. Rupert Stadler, as well as a further member of the management board are now named suspects,” the prosecutor’s office clarified.
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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This fine amounts to about $100 per car. Compared to VW's other costs in this debacle, it's chump change.
"An ocean away, it seemed nothing would come of the endless raids by German authorities on VW-owned facilities." VW has facilities at Pearl Harbor?
The Luftwaffe staged several raids with Stuka dive bombers, softening the VW defenses prior to the Wehrmacht’s advance. VW coastal positions were relentlessly shelled by pocket battleships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst. Militarily, Operation Love Bug was a total failure for VW.