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Volkswagen Got Fined $5.5 million In Italy Because of Dieselgate

Volkswagen’s Dieselgate scandal is far from over, and the German corporation has been served another blow, this time from Italy.
2.0-liter TDI engine in Volkswagen 7 photos
Photo: Volkswagen
2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI
The Anti-Trust Agency of Italy has fined the Volkswagen Group with five million euros, the rough equivalent of $5.5 million. Fortunately for the German corporation, the punishment is only related to its current emissions scandal, Dieselgate, as the agency has decided to apply a penalty to the company after it misinformed car buyers about diesel emissions results.

The fine is the highest applicable by the power of the Italian consumer watchdog, and it is supposed to teach Volkswagen a lesson for its wrongdoing. The German company’s penalty also includes the fact that its vehicles were fitted with devices that helped provide ultra-low results in emission testing procedures by identifying the test and using a dedicated map on the engine control unit.

Volkswagen representatives have already decided to challenge the penalty in an administrative court, Automotive News informs. The representatives of the German brand have stated that their Italian division has fully cooperated with the Italian Anti-Trust Agency with “utmost openness and transparency.”

Volkswagen’s troubles from the self-inflicted emission scandal are far from over, as a local administration (Bavaria) could also sue the German company in its home country. Furthermore, other lawsuits are pending in multiple countries, but the United States of America remains the biggest concern for The Volkswagen Group.

While having sold a small number of cars with “defeat devices” in the USA, the country’s legislation allows for class-action lawsuits against companies that sell products that do not respect their stated characteristics. This kind of legal action can be extremely costly for the defendant, even if it is resolved through a settlement.

While VW has received approval for a settlement deal in the USA for its 2.0-liter TDI-engined vehicles sold with defeat devices, owners of the 3.0-liter V6 TDI-engined cars sold in the United States have yet to receive a solution to the problem. South Korea also has a strong position against Volkswagen’s actions.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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