The German automotive group Volkswagen is ready to shell out 15 billion dollars to put an end to the civil lawsuits in the US for Dieselgate, the fake emissions scandal. This is the highest figure for a class action lawsuit in the United States. This was announced by the Bloomberg agency, after rumors of an agreement worth around 10 billion dollars had been circulating for some time.
According to various American newspapers, the agreement should be based on a plan currently being approved which provides for compensation of $14,7 billion overall to be used to buy back or repair vehicles affected by the diesel emissions scandal and to compensate each owner.
The negotiation involves the American federal government and the lawyers representing the owners of around 475 Volkswagen vehicles. The idea is that owners are compensated with $7.000 to cover the value of their vehicles with compensation of up to $10.
Specifically, just over 10 billion dollars are earmarked for the repurchase of cars at their pre-scandal value, while an additional amount will have to be used for compensation to owners. The latest figure far surpasses any previous US civil settlement with an automaker.
Also expected to pay $2,7 billion in fines to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board, and another $2 billion for green technologies. The settlements will be filed with a judge in the Northern District of California .
