Texas AG’s Broad Jurisdiction Results in Settlement with VW and Audi

Last month, the Texas Attorney General agreed to a settlement in principle with car manufacturers Audi and Volkswagen requiring them to pay a civil penalty of $85 million for alleged violations of the Texas Clean Air Act and environmental regulations. In 2015, the Texas AG filed separate consumer protection and environmental lawsuits against Volkswagen and Audi alleging that the companies used illegal emission-evading technology to defeat state emission tests. Texas had settled its consumer protection at the same time as a multistate settlement agreement in November 2016.