FRESNO (KMJ) — German auto manufacturer Volkswagen will spend more than $1 billion in California to address the emissions scandal.
The announcement from the California Attorney General’s Office, states that it will address the “illegal emissions” caused by the devices installed on 2 liter diesel vehicles.
The massive bill comes after a revelation last September, when it emerged that the car-maker had fitted their diesel vehicles with software to fool emissions tests.
“It marks a significant first step to holding Volkswagen accountable”, says Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates.
“Both for its breach of legal duties, and its breach of the public’s trust”.
Approximately 71,000 diesel cars sold in California between 2009 and 2015, are said to be affected.
“This resolution illustrates the Justice Department’s commitment to protecting American consumers, to safeguarding our environment, and to aggressively perusing companies that make misrepresentations and that violate the law”.
For those who own affected vehicles, they have two choices.
Either allow the company to buy the car back, at the price established before the scandal became public. The second option is to allow VW to put a fix in place which would reduce emissions, but also reduce the car’s acceleration and fuel economy.
