The emissions data fraud scandal of Volkswagen was like a blockbuster, shocking the world in 2015. At that time, the US Environmental Protection Agency detected that the nitrogen oxide emissions of some Volkswagen diesel vehicles during actual driving far exceeded the laboratory standards. Volkswagen installed "cheat software" to fabricate emission data during testing, deceiving regulatory agencies and consumers. This behavior not only seriously violated environmental protection regulations but also greatly damaged consumers' trust. Although several years have passed, the legal impact of this incident is like a surging undercurrent, continuously fermenting globally.
In Europe, consumers' anger towards Volkswagen is on the rise, and class - action lawsuits are emerging in an endless stream like a tide. European consumer rights protection organizations are actively taking the lead, representing numerous consumers who purchased the involved vehicles and filing claims against Volkswagen. They believe that Volkswagen's fraudulent behavior misled consumers when they bought cars. The actual value of the vehicles is much lower than expected, and due to emission problems, consumers may face additional usage costs, such as more restricted driving areas and increased taxes. As the headquarters of Volkswagen, Germany has a particularly high concentration of such lawsuits. Many consumers hope to obtain economic compensation through legal means to make up for their losses.
On the other side of the Atlantic, regulatory authorities in the United States have always maintained a high - pressure stance towards Volkswagen. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) are continuously and strictly supervising Volkswagen's rectification measures. The rectification covers various aspects such as vehicle recalls, software upgrades, and technological improvements. If Volkswagen's subsequent rectification measures fail to meet the stringent US environmental protection regulations, it will face huge fines again. Previously, Volkswagen had paid billions of dollars in fines to the US government due to the emissions fraud and agreed to buy back or rectify hundreds of thousands of involved vehicles. Now, regulatory authorities are closely monitoring the emission conditions of Volkswagen's new models and the implementation of environmental protection standards during its production process, and will never allow similar fraudulent behaviors to occur again.
In addition to Europe and the United States, other countries and regions have also become more vigilant and strengthened their scrutiny of Volkswagen. Regulatory agencies in Asia, South America, and other places have launched special inspections on Volkswagen's imported models, requiring Volkswagen to provide detailed emission data and technical descriptions. Once problems are detected, strict measures such as recalls and fines will be taken. This makes every step of Volkswagen in the global market extremely cautious.
In order to deal with legal lawsuits around the world, Volkswagen has to continuously invest a large amount of capital. Forming a professional legal team and cooperating with law firms in various places to actively respond to lawsuits has become an important part of its daily work. Internally, Volkswagen has made drastic adjustments to its production and management processes. In the research and development link, it has increased investment in environmental protection technologies to ensure that the emission technologies of new models reach the international leading level. In the production workshop, a more stringent quality control system has been introduced to conduct comprehensive emission tests on each vehicle leaving the production line. However, rebuilding corporate reputation is not an easy task. Volkswagen's brand image in the global market has been severely damaged, and consumers are more cautious when buying cars. Although Volkswagen has actively taken measures, such as launching environmentally friendly new models and carrying out public welfare activities, it still requires a long and arduous effort to completely resolve the long - accumulated legal risks in overseas markets and reshape its glorious image in the global automotive market.
