WASHINGTON – A U.S. judge on Wednesday gave final approval to a class-action lawsuit worth at least $80 million to settle the claims Volkswagen The group and her Porsche the unit is skewed threw out and fuel economy data for 500,000 Porsche vehicles in the United States.
The agreement, first reported by Reuters in June, covers the 2005-2020 model year Porsches. The owners accused the automaker of physically altering the test cars, which affected emissions and fuel economy results.
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer also approved $24.5 million in attorneys’ fees and costs.
Owners of eligible vehicles will receive payments ranging from $250 to $1,109 per vehicle.
Porsche said on Wednesday that it was “working to develop a solution and ensure that customers are adequately compensated.”
“We are committed to providing our customers with transparent fuel economy and emissions data, and the agreement ensures that customers are fairly compensated for any changes in fuel economy,” it added.
Attention to Volkswagen vehicles has increased since the German automaker revealed in 2015 that it used sophisticated software to evade emissions requirements in nearly 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide.
VW has settled US criminal and civil cases stemming from the fraud scandal for more than $20 billion. In 2017, the automaker pleaded guilty to fraud, obstruction of justice and perjury.
Under the deal, owners of Porsches with Sport+ driving mode who have exceeded emissions limits while driving in that mode will receive an additional $250 if they complete an emissions-fighting software upgrade that will reduce the vehicle’s emissions.
The total U.S. settlement could reach $85 million, depending on the number of vehicle claims.
Lawyers for owners said that as of Oct. 11, about 110,000 claims covering about 100,000 vehicles had been filed, and that 13,773 owners had already taken Sport+ vehicles to dealers for upgrades.
https://www.autonews.com/regulation-safety/judge-approves-80-million-porsche-us-settlement
