VW installed 'defeat devices' to subvert emissions tests, high court finds

(The Guardian, 6 Apr 2020) Judge makes major ruling in mass ‘dieselgate’ litigation against VW in England and Wales

The car manufacturer Volkswagen subverted key air pollution tests, a British court has found, by using special software to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides under test conditions.

The high court finding is a boost to attempts by campaigners to force the company to address the impact of its cars in producing lung-damaging pollutants at far higher levels than were legally permissible.

A group of about 91,000 claimants is taking Volkswagen to court in one of the biggest “class action” cases, or group litigation orders, yet to be heard in England and Wales. Although Volkswagen has been found guilty in the US, in Europe the carmaker has denied that it cheated tests.

The preliminary finding in the case on Monday, by Mr Justice Waksman, casts a fresh light on the activities of the carmaker, first revealed in the “dieselgate” scandal of 2015.

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The Guardian, 6 Apr 2020: VW installed 'defeat devices' to subvert emissions tests, high court finds