Wednesday 25 May 2022 04:55 PM Volkswagen will pay £193MILLION to more than 90,000 people in High Court claim ... trends now

Car giant Volkswagen is to pay £193 million to more than 90,000 people in a High Court settlement over the 'dieselgate' emissions scandal.

Tens of thousands of owners of affected Volkswagen Group diesel vehicles in England and Wales - including VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda cars - took legal action for compensation following the emissions testing revelations seven years ago.

The pay-out is equivalent to an average of £2,144 each. 

Lawyers argued Volkswagen 'cheated' European emissions standards, which were designed 'to save lives', by installing unlawful 'defeat devices' in its diesel vehicles.

It meant the vehicles were emitting up to 40 times the legal limit of nitrogen dioxide when out on the road.

The claim brought by around 91,000 people, which lawyers said was the biggest consumer group action ever to be brought before the English courts, was due to go to trial in January 2023.

But in a statement today, the car manufacturing group and lawyers acting for the drivers said a multimillion pound out-of-court settlement had been reached.

As well as the nine-figure payment, the statements said the Volkswagen Group will make a separate contribution towards the claimants' legal costs and other fees.

While the terms of the settlement are confidential, no admissions were made by the car manufacturer about liability, causation or loss.

In the statement published by Volkswagen and lawyers for the drivers, the car manufacturing giant said the legal costs of holding a trial lasting around six months, plus any risk of appeals, made settlement the most prudent course of action commercially.