Volkswagen AG has just reached an agreement in principle with the U.S. government to fix approximately 482,000 vehicles with 2.0L diesel engines that were part of the emissions scandal.
Actually, not all the units that were fitted with special software to defeat emissions tests will immediately be fixed. A U.S. judge in San Francisco today announced that Volkswagen has agreed to offer affected owners several options including a buyback, lease cancellation, and the possibility to have their vehicles modified.
No matter which option they choose, these VW owners will be entitled to “substantial compensation,” the ruling says.
What about all the excess nitrogen oxide that was released into the air as a result? The automaker has agreed to establish a fund to remediate environmental damage caused by said emissions. Furthermore, Volkswagen will be “required” to commit funds to promote green vehicle technologies.
Note that the agreement does not apply to the roughly 80,000 3.0L V6 diesels used in VW, Porsche, and Audi models. A ruling on those vehicles will come later.
It now remains to be seen whether a similar deal will be reached between VW and Canadian authorities.