Overview
- Independent on-road tests by three students in California and subsequent ICCT analysis helped expose Volkswagen’s defeat-device software, leading to the EPA’s Sept. 18, 2015 violation notice.
- Volkswagen paid more than $20 billion in U.S. penalties and settlements, and the company reports roughly €33 billion in total costs tied to the scandal.
- The fallout included leadership upheaval and numerous court judgments, with prison sentences for some former VW employees in the U.S. and Germany.
- The criminal case against ex-CEO Martin Winterkorn remains suspended for health reasons, leaving its future unresolved.
- An ICCT study says Europe’s auto sector has moved decisively toward electrification, following wider investigations, recalls, a Bundestag inquiry, and tighter EU emissions oversight.