The German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg plans to take legal action against Volkswagen over the automaker’s cheating of emissions tests, newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) noted on Monday.
The federal state’s bodies, consisting of police forces, bought Volkswagen vehicles that were geared up with a device to rig diesel emissions tests and the paper quoted a state finance ministry spokeswoman as stating it was its “budgetary duty” to take legal action for damages.
Baden-Wuerttemberg had sought to settle with the automaker but a deadline lapsed before a deal could be settled, the report said. The state finance ministry, which is operated by the German Greens, prepares to lodge its claim before year-end, the report added.
“We have no knowledge of claims and therefore cannot comment on the content,” a VW spokesman informed Reuters.
He also said that VW did not see any merit in claims for damages as the vehicles in question were safe and roadworthy.
After an engine software update to address the emissions concerns, the vehicles were compliant with German road traffic regulator KBA’s rules, he stated.
Daily Rheinische Post stated one more regional state, North Rhine-Westphalia – also an owner of a fleet of Volkswagen vehicles – was thinking about suing VW for damages, citing the state’s justice minister.
