VW To Pay $96.5 Million To 98,000 U.S. Customers Over False Emissions Figures

Volkswagen will lower the fuel economy ratings on 98,000 vehicles in the United States and reimburse their owners after the Environmental Protection Agency determined the company had overstated its emissions figures.

Reuters reports that approximately 1 million 2013-2017 Audi, Bentley, Porsche and Volkswagen models had software that caused the transmission to shift gears in a manner that would optimize fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions during EPA-prescribed testing, but not under normal driving conditions.

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An investigation from Volkswagen says that it determined the software had lowered the fuel economy rating on roughly 98,000 vehicles in the U.S. by one mile per gallon. The EPA added that Volkswagen, therefore, understated greenhouse gas emissions by about 220,000 metric tons and will forfeit EPA credits as well as those in the federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy program.

Among the cars getting lower emissions ratings are certain versions of the Audi A8, Bentley Continental GT, Porsche Cayenne and VW Touareg. As part of a court settlement, Volkswagen will reimburse customers $96.5 million, but not all the five model years of said vehicles are covered.

“Volkswagen is committed to providing customers with transparent fuel economy data for our vehicles, in line with U.S. labeling requirements,” VW spokesman Pietro Zollino said.

Yahoo reports that lawyers of owners of the affected vehicles will ask a U.S. judge for $26 million in attorney’s fees and costs. This figure, which consists of $23.9 million in fees and $2.1 million in expenses, is separate from the $96.5 million settlement.