Israel files $152 million Dieselgate lawsuit against Volkswagen
The state of Israel has filed a NIS 523 million
(approximately $152 million) lawsuit with the Tel Aviv District Court against
Volkswagen AG, its subsidiary Audi AG, and its local distributor Champion
Motors Ltd. for alleged fraud and negligence.
The state, represented by Liora Havilio, Merav
Kenig-Wallerstein, and Hagit Plaut-Babad of the Office of the State Attorney,
claims that between 2008-2016 the defendants imported into the country vehicles
with an EA189 type-engine, in which “a fraudulent software meant to falsify
diesel engine emissions readings,” was installed. According to Champion Motors,
some 12,000 vehicles of this type were imported to Israel.
The lawsuit alleges Volkswagen and its associated companies
used the falsified data presented by the software to mislead the Israeli
authorities to assume the vehicles were compliant with the country’s
environmental regulation. The state further claims that it would not have
approved the import of these vehicles, if accurate data was provided. According
to the lawsuit, the vehicles that were subsequently allowed to enter the
country “under false pretense” were responsible for the emission of 3,881
tonnes of nitrogen dioxide (NOx) gasses.
The state claimed the lawsuit deals with the “damage caused
by the defendants, who, through their shortcomings, caused excessive emissions
of thousands of tonnes of pollutants and mortally damaged the state’s policy
meant to reduce polluting emissions and improve air quality in order to prevent
illness, death, and damage to the public’s health.”
Israel is not the first country to pursue legal actions in
this matter first brought to light in 2015. Dubbed Dieselgate, the controversy
sparked investigations and court cases in numerous jurisdictions including the
U.S., Germany, Spain, and Australia. In the U.S., Volkswagen ultimately agreed
to pay $22 billion in a settlement.
A statement of defense has yet to be submitted to the court.
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