Business
Five carmakers go on trial over emissions cheat claims
Emer MoreauBusiness reporter
Getty ImagesA major lawsuit against five leading carmakers accused of cheating on emissions tests is set to begin at the High Court on Monday.
The trial is the latest chapter of what has become known as the “dieselgate” scandal, with the companies facing allegations they used software to allow their cars to reduce emissions of harmful gases under test conditions.
Lawyers say the case is the largest class action in English and Welsh legal history, and could eventually involve 1.6 million car owners.
The five carmakers – Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot/Citroën, Renault and Nissan – all deny the accusations.
The five have been chosen by the court as lead defendants to be tried first as the case is so big.
Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot/Citroën, Renault and Nissan have been accused by 220,000 car owners of misleading them over emissions tests.
But depending on the outcome of this case, nine other carmakers are facing similar claims.
The dieselgate scandal first emerged in September 2015, when the US Environmental Protection Agency accused Volkswagen of installing software – known as “defeat devices” – on diesel cars to lower readings of the cars’ nitrogen oxide emissions.
In 2020, the High Court ruled that Volkswagen had used defeat devices in breach of European Union rules to pass emissions tests.
Volkswagen settled a class action out of court, paying £193m to 91,000 British motorists.
The company has so far paid out more than €32bn (£27.8bn) over the scandal, mostly in the US.
The High Court will decide whether systems installed in diesel cars by the five carmakers were designed to cheat clean air laws.
It is alleged the “defeat devices” allowed a car to identify when it was in a test scenario. It would then run its engine at below normal power and performance levels in order to record lower readings of nitrogen oxides.
Lawyers for the motorists will claim they were deceived about how environmentally friendly the vehicles were, and that the cars still on the road are continuing to emit dangerous levels of pollution.
Although the trial begins on Monday, a judgement is not expected until summer 2026. If the court finds against the carmakers, a further trial to determine levels of compensation is expected to begin in autumn 2026.
Martin Deigh of Leigh Day, which is one of the 22 law firms representing drivers, said: “A decade after the Dieselgate scandal first came to light, 1.6 million UK motorists now get their chance to establish at trial whether their vehicles contained technology designed to cheat emissions tests.”
He said that if the allegations against the car firms are upheld in court it “would demonstrate one of the most egregious breaches of corporate trust in modern times”.
“It would also mean that people across the UK have been breathing in far more harmful emissions from these vehicles than they were told about, potentially putting the health of millions at risk.”
The companies involved have said the claims against them are without merit.
A spokesperson for Mercedes said the mechanisms used in tests were “justifiable from a technical and legal standpoint”.
Renault and Stellantis, which owns Peugeot and Citroen, said the vehicles it sold were compliant with regulations at the time.
Ford said the claims had “no merit” and Nissan said it was “committed to compliance in all markets in which we operate”.
Business
Life sciences lab real estate is clawing back from disaster. Here’s what that means for investors
Business
Trump administration in advanced talks for a rescue package for Spirit Airlines, source says
A Spirit commercial airliner prepares to land at San Diego International Airport in San Diego, California, U.S., January 18, 2024.
Mike Blake | Reuters
The Trump administration is in advanced talks for a financing package for Spirit Airlines as the carrier is facing the risk of a liquidation, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Spirit had been facing a potentially imminent liquidation, people familiar with the matter told CNBC last week, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss matters that had not yet been made public. The Dania Beach, Florida-based carrier in August filed for its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy in less than a year, after it struggled to increase revenue to cover rising costs.
President Donald Trump hinted at potential government aid on Tuesday, telling CNBC’s “Squawk Box“, “Spirit’s in trouble, and I’d love somebody to buy Spirit. It’s 14,000 jobs, and maybe the federal government should help that one out.”
The White House didn’t immediately comment.
“We are hopeful that the government will recognize the needs for emergency funds especially in the current economic environment,” a spokesperson for the Associated of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents Spirit’s cabin crews, said in a statement. “The last thing our economy needs is tens of thousands more people out of work and the last thing the travelling public needs is fewer choices in air travel.”
The terms of the financing deal weren’t immediately known. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that the talks were in an advanced stage.
The U.S. airline industry accepted more than $50 billion in taxpayer aid to weather the Covid-19 pandemic, which is still its biggest-ever crisis, but those funds weren’t handed to one specific airline. Some of the aid gave the U.S. government stock warrants for airlines.
Airlines also received a government bailout following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but that money was also for more than one company. The U.S. in 2008-2009 also bailed out the auto industry during the financial crisis and took stakes in manufacturers.
The Trump administration has taken equity stakes in some companies it deemed critical to national security like Intel and USA RareEarth, though Spirit stands out as it is in bankruptcy.
In February, Spirit said it expected to exit bankruptcy in late spring or early summer, telling a U.S. court that it would shrink and focus its planes on high-demand routes and travel periods. Pilot and flight attendant unions had also made concessions, including going on furlough in recent months, in a bid to help Spirit survive.
But jet fuel prices have nearly doubled in some parts of the U.S. since then, further adding to challenges for Spirit and the rest of the airline industry.
As a low-fare airline that also faces competition from larger carriers with their own no-frills, basic economy offerings, it has grown harder for Spirit to cover expenses. Spirit had introduced extra-legroom seats and other premium options to try to cater to higher-spending customers.
5 AI Models Tried to Scam Me. Some of Them Were Scary Good
Tesla widens India bet with launch of Model Y L – The Times of India
Life sciences lab real estate is clawing back from disaster. Here’s what that means for investors
-
Fashion6 days agoFrance’s LVMH Q1 revenue falls 6%, shows resilience amid Iran war
-
Entertainment1 week agoIs Claude down? Here’s why users are seeing errors
-
Sports1 week agoPSL 11: Peshawar Zalmi win toss, opt to field first against Quetta Gladiators
-
Tech1 week agoThe Deepfake Nudes Crisis in Schools Is Much Worse Than You Thought
-
Tech1 week agoBremont Is Sending a Watch to the Moon’s Surface
-
Tech1 week agoHuman-machine teaming dives underwater
-
Business1 week agoBP sees ‘exceptional’ oil trading result as Iran war sends crude costs soaring
-
Fashion1 week agoWhat no one is saying about the 2026 apparel slowdown