“Good Riddance” – The ban on VW’s diesel vehicle sales in the U.S.

The ban on selling any 2017 diesel vehicles in the U.S., or any diesel vehicles, could be the biggest punishment that VW will have to face from their stunt of cheating emissions tests, which was revealed in September last year.

This could even supersede the millions of dollars in fines that they have to pay out.

The reason why I’m of that opinion is because the diesel vehicles sold in the U.S. made up a big percentage of all VW sales; which is not surprising as the German manufacturer marketed the cars to be “eco-friendly” and “greener” than other vehicles, and they cornered the diesel market well.

However, their “green assertions” turned out to be somewhat misleading…

Since the news of their cheating was announced to the public, the Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board prohibited VW from selling any diesel vehicles in the U.S. This has been the case since September last year. With the ban in place, the German manufacturer has seen a dip in their sales and shares lower than what they were before the scandal. However, VW are confident to settle the scandal by the end of this year in the U.S.

Papers filed: VW banned!

Reuter reports that a court filing was made to show that the 2016 and 2017 diesel vehicles cannot be sold in the U.S. This outcome is not surprising at all – by installing the alleged “defeat devices” into the diesel vehicles, the car manufacturer has not only allegedly cheated the emissions tests on purpose, but they have also cheated their customers.

This is a part and parcel of our case against them here in the UK, which is leading the fight for justice, and consists of thousands of people across the UK.

By marketing and selling vehicles as being less polluting than other diesel vehicles, VW have arguably violated State Consumer and Environmental Laws, as well as EU Consumer Directives.

Other countries banning too

The U.S. are not alone in their ban.

The Guardian reports that Switzerland and South Korea have also banned the sale of the VW vehicles in the Euro5 class. Some may argue the action to be disproportionate, but I believe the right action has been taken by the governments. The action sends out a strong warning signal to VW as well as other car manufacturers to watch what they do. If they step out of line, there could be strong repercussions.

And rightly so!

And we have to remember that NOx is an environmental and people killer.

VW turns to an alternative

Although the ban on selling diesel vehicles in the U.S. has reportedly resulted in a hit on VW’s sales, the manufacturer is not deterred from producing another line of strategy.

Just last month, VW launched a new campaign dubbed ‘Think New’ for their new electric models for 2017. This could be the perfect deflection strategy that VW’s Sales and Marketing Director, Jurgen Stackmann, has come up with in a bid to win back the hearts of their customers. If successful, the electric vehicles could drive sales back to how they were prior to the scandal, and the campaign could not have come at a better time to refresh their damaged image.

But, ultimately, they ought to be concentrating on compensation for their victims first!

Is this ban a victory for justice?

The ban on diesel vehicles in the U.S. could be seen as a milestone victory for customers and any interested consumer action groups. It has banned the sales of nitrogen oxide polluting vehicles, whilst imposing a hefty penalty on the VW Group in terms of fines as well.

However, it’s arguable that there has not been adequate compensation in the U.K. The ban on the sale of diesel vehicles and settlements have happened State-side. An argument that supports the U.S.’ remedial action would say this is due to the stricter environmental regulations that the U.S. have in comparison with the rest of the world. This does not take away from the fact that the U.S. and the U.K. customers were affected by the scandal and, there is arguably no difference to the way they should be compensated for their losses.