Carmakers face key trial in UK lawsuits, decade after 'dieselgate' scandal

Some of the world's biggest carmakers are facing a pivotal proceedings astatine London's High Court connected Monday, with lawyers representing 1.6 cardinal claimants accusing them of cheating diesel emissions tests, a decennary connected from Volkswagen's 'dieselgate' scandal.

In 1 of the largest wide lawsuits successful English ineligible history, owners of diesel vehicles made by Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Nissan, Renault and the Stellantis-owned brands Peugeot and Citroen allege the companies utilized unlawful 'defeat devices'.

These devices detected erstwhile vehicles were being tested and ensured emissions were kept wrong ineligible limits, but did not bash truthful erstwhile the cars were connected the road, the claimants' lawyers say.

The manufacturers, however, accidental the claims are fundamentally flawed and cull immoderate similarity with the ungraded that erupted successful 2015, which outgo Volkswagen billions of euros successful fines and compensation.

Mercedes-Benz said its emanation power systems were legally and technically justified.

The proceedings volition absorption connected a tiny illustration of diesel vehicles produced by the 5 manufacturers, who are being sued by astir 850,000 claimants, to find whether they employed prohibited decision devices. Any damages the tribunal mightiness regularisation should beryllium paid would beryllium decided astatine a further proceedings adjacent year.

The court's ruling volition besides beryllium binding connected hundreds of thousands of akin claims against different manufacturers including Stellantis-owned Vauxhall/Opel and BMW.

Martyn Day, 1 of the claimants' lawyers from the steadfast Leigh Day, said the allegations, if proven "would show 1 of the astir egregious breaches of firm spot successful modern times".

When VW admitted utilizing decision devices successful emissions tests, it led to the carmaker having to wage much than 32 cardinal euros ($37 billion) successful conveyance refits, fines and ineligible costs, portion erstwhile Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn faced transgression charges, though his proceedings was suspended connected wellness grounds this month.

It is not the archetypal clip London's High Court has been asked to determine connected decision devices, having ruled against VW successful 2020. VW settled those claims without immoderate admittance of liability successful 2022.

The existent radical of claims, against a full of 14 manufacturers, is acold larger than the VW case, with the claimants' lawyers antecedently valuing the litigation arsenic a full astatine astir 6 cardinal pounds ($7.97 billion).

Automakers are facing lawsuits astir the world, including successful the Netherlands wherever a tribunal ruled successful July that diesel cars sold by Stellantis brands Opel, Peugeot-Citroen and DS contained decision devices, a ruling Stellantis said was wrong.

Manufacturers and suppliers person besides paid fines and reached settlements successful the United States and elsewhere to resoluteness investigations into diesel conveyance emissions.