X

VW has spent $30BN on Dieselgate in the US... so far

It feels like not cheating would have been the cheaper solution in the long run.

Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
Harold Cunningham/Getty Images

Almost every headline that involves Volkswagen, its diesel scandal and money usually involves a quantity in the billions. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that VW has spent a whole lot of money cleaning up after its self-imposed mess.

To date, Volkswagen's total bill for Dieselgate is pushing $30 billion, Reuters reports. The total comes after Volkswagen announced Friday that it planned to set aside an extra $3 billion or so to cover hardware-related fixes for certain diesel models in the US.

GERMANY-ECONOMY-AUTOMOBILE-VW
Enlarge Image
GERMANY-ECONOMY-AUTOMOBILE-VW

One day, Volkswagen can stop adding to its running Dieselgate total, but today is obviously not that day.

Philipp Von Ditfurth/AFP/Getty Images

It's different over in Europe, where a majority of the vehicles can be fixed by way of a software update and the addition of a small component. In the US, Volkswagen has been offering a mix of software fixes, the aforementioned hardware fixes and buybacks, the initial total of which was estimated at $15 billion.

Volkswagen ended up in this mess when researchers discovered a "defeat device" hidden in VW's diesel cars' computers. The cars could determine when they were being run for testing purposes, and would intentionally curb emissions during that period. When out on the open road, though, the vehicles would end up polluting well in excess of legal limits.

What followed was a very expensive worldwide apology tour. Executives have been arrested, class action lawsuits have sprung up and Volkswagen's diesel engines will forever be tarnished. The company has since admitted fault, pleaded guilty in courts and committed billions to promoting alternative powertrain technologies, including electricity.

Looking at the Volkswagen ID Buzz concept never gets old

See all photos