VW’s not-so-clean diesels: Judge reveals partial buy-back plan

Volkswagen has agreed to buy back or repair about 480,000 vehicles that were rigged to evade emissions tests, in a partial settlement of more than 500 lawsuits by U.S. customers, a federal judge in San Francisco said Thursday.

The automaker still faces possible multibillion-dollar fines in a suit by the U.S. government for violating the Clean Air Act, and some state governments have also sued for financial penalties.

The settlement will also include plans to “address excess emissions,” establish a “fund for appropriate remediation efforts” to vehicle owners, and commit additional spending by Volkswagen “to promote green automotive technology,” Breyer said.

VW has admitted installing software on diesel-powered vehicles sold in the United States between 2009 and 2015 to fake compliance with emissions standards for nitrogen oxide pollutants.