Overview

• Two managers were sentenced to prison—4½ years for the former diesel engine development chief and 2 years 7 months for the ex-head of powertrain electronics—while two others received suspended terms.
• The Braunschweig court ruled they implemented defeat-device software from 2006 to 2015 that suppressed emissions during tests but allowed excess pollutants in real-world driving.
• The nearly four-year trial spanned 175 hearing days and heard testimony from about 150 witnesses before concluding on May 26, 2025.
• Volkswagen has incurred around €33 billion in fines, settlements and remediation costs since the Dieselgate scandal surfaced in September 2015.
• Separate proceedings against ex-CEO Martin Winterkorn remain suspended for health reasons even as four additional trials involving 31 other defendants move forward.