Major car manufacturers deliberately rigged diesel emission tests rather than meet legal standards, a London court heard on Monday as one of Britain's largest ever mass lawsuits began.
Nearly 1.6 million claimants are pursuing manufacturers, including Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Nissan, Renault, Peugeot and Citroën over allegations that their diesel vehicles were fitted with illegal "defeat devices" between 2012 and 2017.
Lawyers for the claimants told the High Court that these devices detected when cars were being tested and artificially reduced nitrogen oxide (NO) emissions to within legal thresholds. Once on the road, however, emissions reportedly soared to as much as 12 times the permitted levels.
The case comes a decade after Volkswagen's dieselgate scandal rocked the automotive industry. VW's admission in 2015 that it used defeat devices has already cost the company over R640 billion in refits, fines and legal settlements.
Tom de la Mare, representing the claimants, argued that car makers across the sector made a "conscious decision" to put customer convenience ahead of pollution control.
The manufacturers strongly dispute the allegations, insisting their emission control systems were legitimately calibrated to respond to different driving conditions. They reject any comparison with the VW scandal.
The trial will examine 20 sample vehicles from the five manufacturers named by approximately 850 000 claimants. A judgment is expected by mid-2026, and the ruling will also apply to roughly 800 000 additional claims against other brands, including Vauxhall/Opel and BMW.
Should the court find the sample vehicles contained prohibited defeat devices, a separate trial will determine compensation levels.
This marks the second time the High Court has adjudicated on defeat devices, having previously ruled against VW in 2020. VW settled without admitting liability in 2022.
Ford will launch seven new models in Europe by 2029, it announced recently, as it seeks to grow its flagging passenger car sales, fend off fierce competition from Chinese rivals and maintain an edge in the continent's commercial vehicle market.
House lawmakers in the United States (US) have proposed bipartisan legislation that would require electric vehicles (EVs) to pay a R2 227 ($130) fee annually for road repairs, and R578 ($35) for some plug-in hybrid models, according to Reuters.
Taking on the challenge of restoring a legacy brand to a stronger position in South Africa is now the focus for Dealer Principal David Venter and his team at Mazda The Glen in the south of Johannesburg.
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Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
George Carlin
Ford will launch seven new models in Europe by 2029, it announced recently, as it seeks to grow its flagging passenger car sales, fend off fierce competition from Chinese rivals and maintain an edge in the continent's commercial vehicle market.
The battle between Chinese carmakers and their Japanese competitors in South Africa increasingly appears to be a fait accompli in favour of the newcomers from China.
Volvo Cars and Google are working together to shape a new generation of driving experiences by combining automotive engineering with artificial intelligence.
