VW Dieselgate fines reach $1.5 Billion in California according to CARB

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced an additional $153.8 million in fines against Volkswagen for the notorious emissions cheating scandal involving its model year 2009 - 2016, 2.0 and 3.0 liter diesel fueled passenger vehicles.

The additional penalties bring the total fines the company must pay in California to nearly $1.5 billion, the largest in history for violations of air quality rules.

“This payment to the State of California closes another chapter in the so-called ‘dieselgate’ case against Volkswagen, but it is not the end of the story,” said CARB Chair Mary Nichols. “There are still consumers waiting to find out the future of their cars. CARB is working with U.S. EPA to determine if the remaining vehicles can be modified.”

“What Volkswagen did was categorically unacceptable,” said Attorney General Xavier Becerra. “At the California Department of Justice, we’ve been holding Volkswagen accountable since we learned of their inexcusable actions. One thing should be crystal clear: wrongdoers who believe they can run and hide are sorely mistaken.”

The total fines are broken down as follows:

1. $153.8 million for penalties for air quality violations and the cost of CARB's investigation.
2. More than $422 million dollars VW must pay into a national trust to mitigate environmental harm in California.
3. $800 million dollars in Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) related investments that VW must perform in California pursuant to an investment plan approved by CARB.
4. $25 million dollars VW has paid to CARB to support ZEV investment programs, including vehicle replacement programs, for low-income residents.
5. Consumer relief, including restitution and modification or buy back of the affected vehicles.
6. $86 million dollars it has paid to the California Attorney General’s office for civil penalties and costs.
7. Any additional mitigation payments VW is required to make if it fails to modify or buy back at least 85% of the subject vehicles in California.

The Consent Decree also includes an injunction requiring the company to implement a corporate compliance program, conduct enhanced vehicle testing, and undertake a series of audit and reporting obligations to ensure future compliance with U.S. and California laws and regulations.

Here's how to get your money back from your dirty VW, Audi, or Porsche

This is a Public Service Announcement (PSA) for all of you unfortunate souls who were mislead into parting with your hard earned dollars by Volkswagen and its Audi and Porsche subsidiaries.

As you recall, the above vehicle manufacturers were caught in the biggest emission scandal ever, rigging certain of their products to bypass mandated federal and California air pollution controls except when the cars were undergoing a required inspection.

The vehicles - cars and SUVs - were marketed as having "clean diesel" technology, thereby misleading those whose concerns for the environment may have led them into purchasing or leasing in the first place.



Under a settlement with California and United States authorities, the company has agreed to provide the following options to the government and/or folks who got caught by this corporate scam:

• Cash payments
• Vehicle buybacks
• Early lease terminations
• Potential emission modifications & extended vehicle warranties
• Environmental remediation
• Promotion of Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) technology

Volkswagen has been running half-page ads in major newspapers across the country with details on how to make a settlement claim. The ads say that the only vehicles affected by this settlement are certain 2009-2016 models of the VW Touareg, Audi A6, A7, A8, A8L, Q5, Q7, and Porsche Cayenne.

However, additional vehicles were also part of the emissions scandal. A complete list can be found here: ARB Volkswagen Information

For more information on what settlements are available for which vehicles, please click on the following link or call 1-844-98-CLAIM:

Emissions Scandal Settlement

VW settles part of emissions cheating scandal

Volkswagen (VW) has agreed to a $14.7 billion settlement with U.S. and California authorities to resolve its unprecedented emissions cheating scandal, according to an announcement by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) yesterday. 

Part of a partial Consent Decree issued by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, the agreement is the largest in automaker history. In addition to CARB, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) approved the edict.

Photo: USEPA, Fair Use

The scandal was revealed after CARB engineers discovered that VW had installed "defeat devices" in certain 2.0-liter diesel powered passenger vehicles sold under the VW and Audi nameplates. The devices prevented federal and California required emission control equipment from operating properly unless the system detected that the vehicle was undergoing an emissions inspection, at which point its programming caused the equipment to do what it was required to do by law.

Approximately 500,000 such vehicles were sold in the United States between model years 2009 and 2015. About 71,000 were sold in California. The scandal was particularly notorious because the vehicles were promoted as ones that utilized clean diesel technology, thus encouraging potential owners and lessees to choose the vehicles because they were duped into thinking that they were doing their part to help the environment.

 A similar scandal involving 3.0-liter engines sold in VW, Audi, and Porsche vehicles, is not part of this agreement.

The terms of the Decree require VW and Audi to:

• Buy back, terminate leases, or provide approved emissions modifications for nearly 475,000 2.0-liter TDI diesel cars in the U.S.;
• Provide cash payments to owners/lessees;
• Pay for environmental remediation; and
• Promote zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) technology.

California will receive about $1.2 billion to mitigate environmental damage caused by VW's cheating.

“The court’s approval of the largest settlement for California under the Clean Air Act sets in motion a public process that will develop a range of projects to mitigate the harmful health effects of smog,” said CARB’s Chair Mary D. Nichols. “While we continue to pursue penalties for these violations -- and a resolution for 3.0-liter vehicles which were also equipped with defeat devices -- this decision sends a clear message that California will continue  to ensure cars and tailpipes meet the standards designed to protect the public from pollution and smog.” 

Porsche part of vehicle emission control scandal, ARB and EPA charged today

"Porsche, There is no substitute!"

http://www.examiner.com/article/porsche-part-of-vehicle-emission-control-scandal-arb-and-epa-charged-today

Volkswagen caught programming cars to shut down emission controls when driven

Unfriggingbelievable!!!

http://www.examiner.com/article/volkswagen-caught-programming-cars-to-shut-down-emission-controls-when-driven