Five automobile giants, including Renault and Peugeot-Citroën, recorded a large victory on Friday July 10 in the British aspect of Dieselgate, with the courts dismissing most of the accusations against them in this vast scandal of rigged diesel cars.
The manufacturers, which also include the German Mercedes, the Japanese Nissan and the American Ford, are suspected of having manipulated diesel vehicles to pass anti-pollution checks, particularly for nitrogen oxides (NOx). Everyone denies the facts. In a summary of its decision, the High Court explains that it “dismissed most of the main allegations made against the manufacturers whose vehicles were examined at trial”.
Judge Sara Cockerill considers that the “invalidation devices” (systems which artificially reduce emissions during tests) put in place to pass anti-pollution checks do not constitute “in the majority of cases” illegal devices. However, it makes “unfavorable findings” concerning a Mercedes vehicle and two Peugeot-Citroën vehicles, out of 20 vehicles studied. Ford, Renault and Nissan, on the other hand, won most of the complaints.
Possible compensation
Another trial is scheduled for next October to determine whether compensation can be awarded to the plaintiffs, who number 1.6 million in total. This decision, however, greatly reduces the potential scope of the compensation claimed, which had been estimated at billions of pounds.
The Leigh Day law firm, lead representative of the plaintiffs, said in a statement that it was considering an appeal. According to Leigh Day, the decision creates a significant divergence between the United Kingdom and the European Union, the judge having refused to follow several decisions of the European Union courts on the definition of defeat devices.
Ford was delighted with the decision, as was Renault, which will “now request reimbursement of its legal costs”. “We are pleased that the English High Court has ruled overwhelmingly in favor of Mercedes? Benz”, for its part reacted the German manufacturer, saying that it did not share the court’s decision on the questioning of one of its models.
As for Stellantis, the parent company of Peugeot and Citroën, it “firmly maintains that all of its vehicles comply with applicable emissions regulations” and plans to appeal.
“Incredibly disappointing”
The global Dieselgate scandal has given rise to the opening of civil and criminal proceedings around the world, notably in Germany, France, the United States and South Korea.
Volkswagen, with which the name Dieselgate is often associated, admitted in 2015 to having installed software to rig the emissions levels of millions of vehicles around the world. The manufacturer was found guilty in 2020 in the United Kingdom. Without recognizing his responsibility in this specific matter, he nevertheless agreed to pay 193 million pounds.
This judgment is expected to set a precedent and apply to other manufacturers subject to complaints, such as Volkswagen Porsche, Vauxhall Opel, Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, FCA Suzuki, Volvo, Hyundai Kia, Toyota and Mazda.
“I find this incredibly disappointing,” lamented Jane Dutton, of the “Mums for Lungs” association, outside the High Court, where the NGO displayed banners bearing inscriptions such as “Prime Minister – diesel must go!” “. “Whatever this judgment says”, the 7 million diesel cars which she says emit excessive emissions in the United Kingdom “must be removed from our roads”, she added.
