The VW Group has been ordered to pay a A$125 million ($86 million) fine by an Australian federal court, with regards to emissions cheating.
This is the highest-ever fine under the country’s consumer law, according to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission. However, VW has stated that it will review the penalty (which exceeds an earlier A$75 million settlement), and may appeal the decision, reports Autonews Europe.
The court’s decision is said to be directed at the German brand exclusively, and not at its local unit – and involves more than 57,000 VW vehicles, imported to Australia between 2011 and 2015.
Also read: Australia To Implement Real-World Emissions Testing After VW’s Dieselgate
“Volkswagen’s conduct undermined the integrity and functioning of Australia’s vehicle-import regulations which are designed to protect consumers,” said ACCC chairman, Rod Sims. “Volkswagen’s conduct was blatant and deliberate.”
VW’s diesel-emissions scandal has been an ongoing issue for the past four years, having already cost the German company over $30 billion. The automaker also faces a class-action lawsuit in the UK, backed by some 100,000 car owners. Meanwhile, regulators in Italy and the Netherlands have already fined VW, with Germany also slapping a massive 1.2 billion euro fine.
Recently, the automaker’s headquarters were raided as the investigation turned to the EA 288 engine, the successor to the EA 189 (which was at the center of the dieselgate scandal). VW has stated that this newer power unit wasn’t equipped with a defeat device and that it complies with emissions regulations – although that’s exactly what they said with regards to the older TDI engine too.
