Following in the footsteps of Harris County and the city of Dallas, the state announced Thursday it is suing Volkswagen in connection with the German automaker’s admitted use of software that allowed its vehicles to circumvent emissions limits.
Attorney General Ken Paxton announced two separate lawsuits against Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. and subsidiary Audi of America, alleging violations of the state’s consumer protection laws and clean air standards.
“The lawsuits allege the companies misled Texas consumers by marketing and selling diesel vehicles as ‘clean’ while knowing that these vehicles were designed to meet emission standards only when being tested,” a news release said. “Outside of the testing station they would emit up to 40 times the allowable standard for certain pollutants.”
About 32,000 diesel cars capable of emissions cheating have been sold in Texas, the release said, citing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency figures. That’s compared to about 480,000 nationwide and 11 million globally.
“For years, Volkswagen intentionally misled consumers about the environmental and performance qualities of the vehicles they sold in Texas,” Paxton said in a statement. “When companies willfully violate the public’s trust, a penalty must be paid, and we will hold these entities responsible.”
See here for the background. Again, I don’t know why any government entity wouldn’t file suit against VW. They’ve already admitted liability – this is as close to a slam dunk as it gets in civil litigation. How long it takes and how much you ultimately get are open questions, but the winning and losing part isn’t. And hey, now we know what it takes to get Texas to enforce environmental standards. It’s a win all around!
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