Volkswagen AG has agree to pay $86M more in civil penalties to the state of California over its emissions scandal. This will be in addition to the $14.7 billion settlement reached last week with federal officials.
State Attorney General Kamala Harris and the automaker asked a judge this week to approve the VW settlement, according to CBS Local Media-Los Angeles. The funds would be an additional to the billion dollars that Volkswagen previously agreed to pay for investments in zero-emissions technology and environmental mitigation in California.
That figure was part of a settlement announced last week that includes compensation for the majority of affected Volkswagen owners. Volkswagen is still facing billions more in fines. The DOJ could still add more penalties as well as possible criminal charges.
The automaker was initially sued by several states in the US in the wake of its admission that half a million cars had cheated emissions tests by using a computer. VW said it was aware that vehicles were programmed to turn on and off emissions during government lab tests.
About 11M cars were affected globally, and the scandal plunged the Volkswagen into the biggest corporate scandal in its history, Automotive News reports.
Court documents filed by the California Attorney General noted that VW agreed to settle an anti-competition case that had been brought by the State.
The historic $15.3 billion settlement of fines and compensation will cover the costs of fixes and award cash payments of up to $10,000 per vehicle. The company has refused to offer compensation to car owners in Europe, where 8.5 million cars are affected.
