Court Thwarts VW's Bid to Suspend Emissions Audit
Germany's highest court has rejected a bid by Volkswagen AG to suspend the work of a special auditor appointed to investigate management's actions in the "Dieselgate" emissions scandal. A three-judge panel did not give an opinion on the merits of the case, in which VW argues that the naming of the auditor by a lower court violated its fundamental rights, but did dismiss the firm's request for an injunction.
U.S. Extends VW Emissions Settlement Deadline
A U.S. judge late on Wednesday extended the deadline for Volkswagen AG, U.S. government regulators and owners of nearly 500,000 2.0 liter vehicles to reach a final diesel emissions settlement until June 28. The tentative settlement announced in April includes an offer by VW to buy back nearly 500,000 polluting vehicles, as well as an environmental remediation fund to address excess emissions and a fund to promote green automotive technology. In April, U.S.
New Jersey Sues VW over Excess Diesel Emissions
New Jersey on Friday filed a lawsuit against Volkswagen AG and its luxury units over the German automaker's excess diesel emissions, becoming the fourth U.S. state to take legal action. New Jersey's acting attorney general, John J. Hoffman, accused VW and its Porsche and Audi units of perpetrating a massive fraud on consumers and violating state clean air laws. VW has admitted installing illegal diesel emissions software to allow 580,000 U.S.
Britain Calls for Truck CO2 Emissions Limits
Britain and three other countries have joined calls for mandatory European Union limits on the amount of CO2 pumped out by trucks, which account for 30 percent of road transport emissions but only a small fraction of vehicles on the road. The European Commission has introduced a limit of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometre (g/km) by 2021 for cars and vans, but emissions from heavy duty vehicles (HDVs) are unregulated.
Ballard Power Posts Smaller-Than-Expected Loss
Canadian fuel cell maker Ballard Power Systems Inc posted a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss, helped by higher revenue from its engineering services and material handling businesses. Revenue from Ballard's engineering services business, which counts Volkswagen AG among its customers, rose nearly threefold in the first quarter ended March 31. The business accounted for half of Ballard's total revenue in the quarter.
