VW mass lawsuit begins in Germany

A trial involving more than 400,000 owners of VW diesel vehicles opened in Germany yesterday. The case, brought by the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (VZBV) on behalf of consumers, marks the first time Germans can pursue group claims after a change in law last year. The consumer group accuses VW of putting drivers at risk by installing software to deliberately cheat emissions; the auto giant rejects the argument, saying the vehicles “are safe and roadworthy”. The ‘dieselgate’ scandal has so far cost VW €30 billion.