Thousands of Tennesseans – and the state government – will be reimbursed by Volkswagen. The money is meant to resolve a scandal in which the automaker programmed diesel cars to cheat emissions tests.
Overall, the company will spend nearly $15 billion on the largest auto-related class-action settlement in U.S. history.
Under the agreement, Volkswagen will buy back or repair roughly half a million vehicles nationwide that were bought or leased in the last eight years. More than 11,000 of those cars come from Tennessee.
Attorney General Herbert Slatery announced this week that, in addition, Tennessee will receive more than $12.5 million from VW for having violated state consumer laws. Tennessee is also eligible to receive $42 million in support of environmental programs to reduce emissions.
Governor Haslam’s office called the outcome “a positive step for both consumers and Volkswagen.”
The company’s lone US manufacturing plant is located in Chattanooga.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM