German authority finds elevated emission in widened vehicle probe

He said buyers paid a $5,000 premium to get the diesel engine and the better fuel economy with the promise that it was also good for the environment.

“That trust is gone”, he said.

Porsche profits have halved as the company says it is “affected by developments at Volkswagen”.

VW admitted in September to cheating tests for emissions of nitrogen oxides and the scandal widened with VW’s revelation last week that it had also understated carbon dioxide emissions.

Instead, it’s one of several good-will measures Volkswagen is extending to those who bought a diesel vehicle from VW, thinking it was cleaner than it actually turns out to be.

The ongoing VW diesel emissions scandal is already taking a toll on sales of used Volkswagen models, new data shows.

VW also said it continues to discuss potential remedies with USA and California emissions regulators, including the possibility that a few of the affected cars could be bought back from customers. The short version is that VW will be giving owners of its diesel cars that have the now-infamous diesel defeat software installed two gift cards.

“They will appreciate the communication, but I imagine that until a real resolution is found that appreciation will be muted”, he said.

“Volkswagen must lay out a plan on how it will fix affected cars”.

Can owners who take the offer still sue Volkswagen? “There are no strings attached”, she said.

VW said the arbitration clause – buried in clause 11 of its lengthy “Goodwill Package Cardholder Agreements” – is part of the bank terms for the gift cards and is not created to fool consumers into waiving their legal claims against Volkswagen.

The gesture will cost Volkswagen almost $250 million – a fraction of what the automaker has warned investors the scandal will costs.

Will $1,000 be enough to make your VW diesel woes go away?

The sophisticated software fitted into diesel engines skews the results of tests for emissions of nitrogen oxide, a pollutant associated with respiratory problems.

Volkswagen is offering its diesel vehicle owners $1,000 in incentives, in what it calls “a first step” toward regaining their loyalty following the scandal over faked emissions tests. Audi is the luxury unit of Volkswagen AG. The latest move of the German automaker is to pacify its customers, who have been frustrated with the way they were cheated on emission standards.