A U.S. judge has granted final approval to a settlement worth at least $80 million to resolve claims Volkswagen AG and its Porsche AG unit, distorted emissions and fuel economy data on 500,000 Porsche vehicles in the United States.
The settlement, first reported by Reuters in June, covers from 2005 to 2020 model year Porsche vehicles. Owners of those models accused the car maker of physically altering test vehicles that affected emissions and fuel economy results.
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer on Wednesday, November 9 also approved $24.5 million in attorneys’ fees and costs while owners of eligible vehicles will receive payments of $250 to $1,109 per vehicle.
In a statement, Porsche said that it has “been working to develop a solution and to ensure customers are appropriately compensated.”
“We are committed to providing our customers with transparent fuel economy and emissions data, and the agreement ensures that customers are fairly reimbursed for any fuel economy changes,” it added.
Scrutiny of Volkswagen’s cars grew after the German automaker in 2015 disclosed it had used sophisticated software to evade emissions requirements in nearly 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide.
The company then settled U.S. criminal and civil actions prompted by the cheating scandal for more than $20 billion. The automaker pleaded guilty in 2017 to fraud, obstruction of justice and falsifying statements.
Under the settlement, owners of Porsche vehicles with “Sport+” driving mode that exceeded emissions limits when driven in that mode will get an additional $250 when they complete emissions repair software updates that will reduce vehicle emissions.
