Who Informed You That Dieselgate Has Concluded? | Carscoops

      Five automakers, including Stellantis, Ford, and Nissan, have been accused of violating emissions regulations in London’s High Court.

      Approximately 1.6 million diesel vehicle owners in the UK are suing these five manufacturers over allegations of emissions cheating.

      The companies facing trial in the London court include Mercedes, Ford, Renault, Nissan, and Peugeot Citroën, part of Stellantis. Additionally, other brands such as Porsche, JLR, BMW, and Mazda could be impacted by the ruling.

      A decade after the Volkswagen Group's notorious dieselgate scandal shook the automotive industry, a new emissions controversy is now emerging in the UK, once again involving five major carmakers over similar accusations.

      On Monday, October 13, at London’s High Court, about 1.6 million diesel car owners filed claims against Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Renault, Nissan, and the Stellantis brands of Peugeot and Citroën, alleging that these companies had equipped their vehicles with “defeat devices” designed to circumvent nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions tests.

      This significant legal battle is shaping up to be one of the largest group actions in English legal history. The claimants argue that their vehicles emitted substantially more NOx under real-world driving conditions than what official testing indicated.

      Potential damages amounting to billions of pounds are at stake, alongside the reputations of the manufacturers embroiled in this controversy.

      The court will primarily focus on these five automakers to optimize time and resources, as reported by The Guardian, but the outcome will also influence many other brands, including BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Suzuki, Toyota, Mazda, and Hyundai-Kia.

      This trial evokes memories of Dieselgate, during which Volkswagen admitted to using cheat software in millions of vehicles around the globe. The claimants assert that these five manufacturers made a deliberate choice to prioritize “customer convenience” (i.e. sales volume) over adherence to regulations and air quality.

      Court documents indicate that the accused manufacturers reject the notion that their actions during the dieselgate scandal are comparable to those of Volkswagen. Some brands have mocked the prosecution, claiming it lacks comprehension regarding diesel engines and emissions control systems, with Ford's legal team specifically labeling the case as “scientifically illiterate.”

      Initially, the court will assess whether the supposed defeat devices were indeed present, and only afterward will discussions shift to the compensation that each vehicle owner may receive.

      The preliminary hearing is expected to wrap up by the end of this year, with more in-depth arguments set to commence in March 2026. A final ruling is anticipated by the following summer.

      While diesel sales have plummeted in recent years, legal disputes like this ensure that the topic remains relevant for the foreseeable future.