High Court rules on diesel emissions class action
The High Court issued a ruling in the class action lawsuit against car manufacturers over diesel emissions cheat devices.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The High Court in London is expected to deliver its judgment in a landmark class action lawsuit against several major car manufacturers over allegations they fitted diesel vehicles with software designed to cheat emissions tests. The case, often referred to as 'dieselgate', involves around 1.6 million motorists in England and Wales and is the largest class action of its kind in the jurisdiction.
The defendants include Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot, Citroen, Renault, and Nissan, all of whom deny any wrongdoing. The claimants allege that these car makers installed 'cheat devices', software that produces artificially low readings during official emissions tests, while allowing higher levels of nitrogen oxide pollution in real-world driving.
The origins of the scandal date back to September 2015, when the US Environmental Protection Agency first accused Volkswagen of using such devices. In 2020, the High Court ruled that Volkswagen had indeed used illegal software to pass European emissions tests. Volkswagen later settled claims in May 2022 with a payout of £193 million to 91,000 owners.
The current action, which opened in October last year, targets a broader group of manufacturers. It has taken nearly 11 years to reach this point, and the judgment is expected to have significant implications for the automotive industry and consumer compensation.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Sky News |
|---|---|
| The High Court is set to deliver a judgment in a class action lawsuit involving 1.6 million motorists against several car manufacturers including Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot, Citroen, Renault, and Nissan, who deny wrongdoing. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News focused on the imminent High Court ruling, framing it as a major development in the long-running dieselgate scandal. The coverage highlighted the scale of the case — involving 1.6 million motorists — and provided a timeline of events from the original Volkswagen scandal to the current multi-manufacturer lawsuit. The tone was factual and anticipatory, with a clear emphasis on the legal and consumer impact.
- “The High Court is set to rule on whether major car makers fitted diesel cars With illegal cheat devices”
- “the case centers on allegations that some car makers fitted vehicles with so-called cheat devices Software that would give a false low reading during emissions tests”
- “Mercedes Ford Peugeot Citroen Renault and Nissan are among the lead defendants and all deny any wrongdoing”
Broadcast Timeline
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