Volkswagen US owners on target for settlement

Senior US District Judge Charles Breyer said on Tuesday that substantial progress has been made toward a deal for owners of the VW cars affected by the emissions cheating scandal.

Attorneys for Volkswagen and Volkswagen owners filed an agenda for Tuesday's hearing before Judge Breyer that included a report on discussions over roughly 482,000 Volkswagens with 2-liter, four-cylinder diesel engines. It is believed to include a settlement will include "substantial compensation."

Owners are to be given the option of having Volkswagen buy back their vehicles or repair them. It was left unclear how much money owners could expect in a buyback and how much compensation beyond repairs and buybacks they would receive.

Breyer said engineering studies and testing were continuing concerning a resolution for 80,000 larger 3.0 liter vehicles. Those vehicles emit up to 9 times legally allowable pollution. The judge mentioned no timetable for a resolution.

VW, the US Department of Justice and attorneys for vehicle owners have until June 21 to file a final settlement with the court. The talks are ongoing.

There was no indication about whether an agreement had been reached on more terms than those that will be disclosed in court.

Breyer had announced a tentative deal last month.

jh/jm (AP, Reuters)