Status: December 17, 2020 10:38 am

Five years after the VW diesel scandal became known, the European Union Court of Justice outlawed the software to fine exhaust gas values. Older diesel car owners could benefit.

Automobile manufacturers cannot use deactivation devices that specifically improve the exhaust gas values ​​on the test bench. The Court of Justice of the European Communities has declared illegal a corresponding software to adjust the values ​​of the exhaust gases in the approval test. The ruling could significantly strengthen the rights of owners of older diesel cars.

A manufacturer is not authorized to install a deactivation device that systematically improves the performance of the emission control system during approval procedures, the court said. Reduced engine wear or contamination could not justify such a stopping device.

In the ECJ proceedings, a French manufacturer was investigated for fraudulent misrepresentation. In court records, this is just called “X”. However, Volkswagen has confirmed that it is their vehicles.

In September 2015 it became known that Volkswagen had manipulated the emission values ​​during approval tests with special software. The result was billions of claims for damages and a wave of lawsuits that still continues.

(Case C-693/18)


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