VW diesel vehicles emission defeat devices
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In 2015, after a California Air Resources Board investigation, Volkswagen (VW) admitted to deliberately installing emission defeat devices on nearly 600,000 VW and Audi diesel vehicles sold in the United States. Approximately 85,000 of these vehicles were sold in California.
The defeat device consisted of software designed to cheat during state and federal emission tests. The result was these vehicles produced oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions that were up to 40 times higher than allowed. NOx is a key smog-forming pollutant, and unless specially controlled, is produced in greater amounts by diesel vehicles.
To make up for the excess pollution caused by its actions, VW has agreed to a settlement that will allocate California about $423 million from an Environmental Mitigation Trust. This money will fund projects to mitigate the lifetime excess NOxemissions of VW vehicles with defeat devices. VW also is required to invest an additional $800 million for zero-emission vehicle projects in California over a 10-year period.
Actions to address excess emissions
NOx Mitigation, $423 million to mitigate excess diesel emissions
Zero Emissions Vehicle Investment, $800 million from VW for ZEV projects in CA