Overview

• Prosecutors have requested prison sentences for three defendants—four years for one and three years each for two others—and a two-year suspended sentence for a fourth.
• The defendants are accused of fraud involving defeat-device software that concealed excessive nitrogen oxide emissions in millions of diesel vehicles.
• Prosecutors attribute €3.15 billion in damages and 3.65 million affected vehicles to three defendants, with €1.14 billion and 1.49 million vehicles linked to the fourth.
• The trial began in September 2021 and has involved 168 court sessions and testimony from 150 witnesses over three and a half years.
• The case against former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn remains suspended due to health issues, while Volkswagen has already incurred over €30 billion in legal costs and settlements globally.