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Study finds 16,000 Dieselgate-related deaths in France as four ex-VW executives are jailed

CREA urges recalls or upgrades of 3 million diesel vehicles to avert thousands more deaths by 2040

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Le logo du constructeur automobile allemand Volkswagen devant l'usine Volkswagen à Wolfsburg, en Allemagne, le 23 septembre 2015.

Overview

  • The Finnish CREA report attributes 16 000 premature deaths in France to manipulated VW diesel emissions since 2009, projecting a total of 24 000 fatalities by 2040.
  • Dieselgate’s health toll across the EU and UK is estimated at 205 000 premature deaths between 2009 and 2040, with economic costs reaching €1.2 trillion.
  • Around 3 million affected Volkswagen diesel vehicles remain in use and could cause an additional 8 000 preventable deaths if not retrofitted or recalled.
  • On May 26, a German court sentenced four former Volkswagen executives to prison terms of up to 4.5 years for organized fraud in the Dieselgate scandal.
  • Martin Winterkorn’s separate criminal trial is ongoing, with the ex-CEO facing up to 10 years behind bars for his role in the emissions manipulation scheme.