Volkswagen to face Dieselgate trial in Paris, AFP reports

On the Dash:

• Volkswagen will face a criminal Dieselgate trial in France.
• Formal hearings are unlikely to begin before 2027.
• Legal fallout from Dieselgate continues across Europe.

Volkswagen AG has been ordered to face criminal trial in France related to Dieselgate, the emissions scandal involving illegal defeat devices to bypass diesel emissions regulations, nearly a decade after it engulfed the global auto industry.

The German automaker is accused of deceitful practices involving “goods that endanger human and animal health,” according to a report from Agence France-Presse, which cited a source familiar with the litigation. Trial dates will not be discussed until December, and formal hearings are unlikely to begin before 2027.

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The French authorities are also pursuing charges against Renault and two Stellantis units for noncompliance with diesel emissions regulations. Both automakers have denied any wrongdoing.

The scandal first erupted in 2015, triggering regulatory investigations and legal action worldwide. The scandal ultimately cost several automakers billions of dollars in fines. The legal fallout had been widespread. Last year, a German court convicted four former VW managers of fraud, sentencing two to prison for their roles in the scandal. In the United Kingdom, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Nissan, Renault, Stellantis-owned Peugeot and Citroën are also facing criminal charges tied to the alleged use of illegal defeat devices.

The upcoming proceedings in Paris mark another significant chapter in the long-running legal consequences of Dieselgate, underscoring how the scandal continues to reverberate across major global markets nearly a decade later.