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| Dieselgate has cost VW more than 27 billion euros in fines, vehicle buybacks and recalls and legal costs (AFP Photo/Patrik STOLLARZ) |
Frankfurt
am Main (AFP) - As Volkswagen faces the wrath of investors in the first mass
"dieselgate" lawsuit on its home turf, here's a look at how the
emissions cheating was uncovered and the fallout for the auto giant:
2014
US
researchers at the University of West Virginia discover that certain VW diesel
cars emit up to 40 times the permissible levels of harmful nitrogen oxide when
tested on the road.
2015
September
18: The US Environmental Protection Agency accuses VW of duping diesel
emissions tests using so-called "defeat devices".
September
22: Volkswagen admits installing software designed to reduce emissions during
lab tests in 11 million diesel engines worldwide. VW shares plunge by 40
percent in two days.
September
23: Chief executive Martin Winterkorn steps down but insists he knew nothing of
the scam.
2016
April 22:
VW announces a net loss for 2015, its first in 20 years, after setting aside
billions to cover the anticipated costs of the scandal.
June 28: VW
agrees to pay $14.7 billion in buybacks, compensation and penalties in a
mammoth settlement with US authorities. The deal, which covers 2.0 litre diesel
engines only, includes cash payouts for nearly 500,000 US drivers.
September
21: The first VW investors file lawsuits in a German court seeking billions in
damages. They accuse the automaker of failing to communicate about the crisis
in a timely way.
December 8:
The European Commission launches legal action against seven EU nations
including Germany for failing to crack down on emissions cheating.
2017
January 11:
VW pleads guilty to three US charges including fraud and agrees to pay $4.3
billion in civil and criminal fines.
As part of the plea deal, VW signs up to a "statement of facts" in which it admits that the cheating dates back to 2006, but it remains unclear how much the top brass knew about the scam.
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Graphic on
the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal. (AFP Photo/AFP)
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As part of the plea deal, VW signs up to a "statement of facts" in which it admits that the cheating dates back to 2006, but it remains unclear how much the top brass knew about the scam.
January 27:
German prosecutors say they are investigating Winterkorn on suspicion of fraud,
accusing him of knowing about the defeat devices earlier than admitted. He is
already under investigation for suspected market manipulation over the scandal.
February 1:
Car parts maker Bosch, which supplied elements of the software, agrees to pay
nearly $330 million to US car owners and dealers but admits no wrongdoing.
VW says it
will pay at least $1.2 billion to compensate some 80,000 US buyers of 3.0 litre
engines as well as buying back or refitting their vehicles.
August 25:
A Michigan court sentences VW engineer James Liang to 40 months in prison and a
$200,000 fine, after he pleads guilty to conspiracy to defraud the US and to
violating the US Clean Air Act. He had asked for a more lenient sentence after
cooperating with investigators.
December 6:
VW executive Oliver Schmidt, who was arrested while on holiday in Florida, is
sentenced to seven years in jail after pleading guilty to fraud and violating
the US Clean Air Act.
2018
February
23: VW roars back to profit after record sales in 2017.
February
27: A German court paves the way for cities to ban the oldest diesels from
their roads to combat air pollution.
April 12:
VW brand chief Herbert Diess hastily replaces CEO Matthias Mueller after he too
lands in prosecutors' sights.
April 20: A
top manager at Porsche, a VW subsidiary, is arrested in Germany as part of
"dieselgate" inquiries.
May 3:
Winterkorn is indicted in the US, accused of trying to cover up the cheating.
June 13: VW
agrees to pay a one-billion-euro fine in Germany, admitting its responsibility
for the diesel crisis. The scandal has now cost the group over 27 billion
euros.
June 18:
Rupert Stadler, CEO of VW's Audi subsidiary, is arrested in Germany, accused of
fraud and trying to suppress evidence.
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