Audi hit by £700 million fine for diesel emissions scandal

Audi has been fined €800 million (around £700m or Rs 6,763 crore) as part of a settlement with German prosecutors investigating breaches of diesel emissions rules. 

The Munich II public prosecutor had been investigating the Volkswagen Group brand over claims that certain versions of the firm’s V6 and V8 diesel engines breached requirements relating to "emissions service" and "power engine approval". Prosecutors also said Audi “failed to discover” that its vehicles sold with the VW Group’s EA288 and EA189 diesel engines featured an impermissible software function to cheat emissions tests – unearthed in the Dieselgate scandal.

In a statement, Audi said that it “accepted the fine and it will not lodge an appeal against it. By doing so, Audi AG admits its responsibility for the deviations from regulatory requirements.”

The €800m (Rs 6,782 crore) fine comprises the maximum €5m (Rs 42 crore) penalty for ‘negligent regulatory offences’ and €795m (Rs 6,740 crore) for ‘disgorgement of economic benefits’. A Volkswagen Group release noted the fine would impact its financial targets for the 2018 financial year.

In June, Volkswagen agreed to an £880m fine from German prosecutors over the dieselgate scandal.

Former Audi boss Ruper Stadler, who is currently in prison awaiting trial in connection with the Dieselgate scandal, recently left the firm. While the Audi settlement ends the probe against the brand, cases remain against several over former VW Group executives, along with a number of lawsuits from car buyers in various countries.