Washington, Dec 22 (EFE). - Mercedes-Benz has agreed to pay $149.6 million to U.S. authorities to settle a lawsuit filed by the states over the use of illegal software that falsified emissions from its diesel vehicles.
As part of the agreement, Mercedes-Benz will also pay $2,000 to vehicle owners whose cars were repaired to meet emissions standards. "The company must also adopt extensive corrective measures to prevent future misconduct and comply with strict oversight requirements," the statement added.
"Mercedes promised New Yorkers clean and eco-friendly cars, but instead sold vehicles that polluted our air and put public health at risk," James stated.
An additional $29.6 million is a temporarily suspended penalty, which will be reduced by $750 for each affected vehicle the company repairs, removes from the market, or repurchases.
In 2020, Mercedes-Benz already agreed to pay $1.5 billion to U.S. federal authorities for cheating on diesel engines to hide their emissions.
In 2017, another German automaker, Volkswagen, was found guilty of cheating on nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles in the U.S., more than 200,000 of which were equipped with illegal software that allowed them to emit 30 to 40 times the permitted amount.
Under the agreement, Mercedes-Benz will pay $120 million to the states that were part of the lawsuit.
In 2020, the New York Attorney General launched an investigation, along with eight other attorneys general, which concluded that Mercedes-Benz installed illegal software in hundreds of thousands of diesel vehicles it sold in the U.S. to hide the real emissions of the engines. In total, the so-called 'dieselgate' cost VW $25 billion in fines, compensation, and repairs in the U.S.
