Earlier this week, Volkswagen lost a court case in Germany against former customer Herbert Gilbert, who was seeking compensation regarding claims the auto giant knowingly sold him a car that breached legal carbon emission limits. The scandal of VW fitting devices to deceive authorities, regulators, and customers is, of course, nothing new, but this particular case in which the company was deemed “deliberately immoral” is just one more blow to its reputation and funds.
And it certainly must have caused some sleepless nights for VW management; while they only need pay Gilbert the sum of €28,257.74 (U.S. $31,355), they will also be required to pay similar sums to 60,000 other purchasers of VW cars in Germany—another backward step in VW’s efforts to repair its reputation.
