A German court handed down prison sentences to four former Volkswagen executives for their role in the company’s emissions-cheating scandal. Jens Hadler received the longest sentence of 4.5 years for orchestrating “particularly serious” fraud, which involved installing software that allowed vehicles to temporarily bypass pollution controls during inspections.
The scandal led to a significant shift in Europe’s car market, with diesel vehicles now accounting for just 10% of new car sales compared to over half before 2015. The impact also accelerated the continent’s transition towards electrification, with electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids now making up 25% of new car sales.
Volkswagen has emerged as a leading electric vehicle manufacturer in Europe, selling three times as many battery-powered cars as Tesla in April, according to reports.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/26/four-vw-execs-found-guilty-in-trial-that-transformed-europes-auto-market