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Last
week, Volkswagen said it was offering a $500 prepaid Visa gift
card, a separate card good for $500 toward services at a VW
dealerships and free 24-hour roadside assistance for three
years. In total, that could mean at least $120 million in
benefits to the participating owners.
VW spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan said 120,000 owners have signed
up to receive the gift cards - or about one quarter of the
482,000 vehicle owners covered by the emissions scandal.
VW said taking part does not prevent owners from filing
lawsuits. The automaker faces hundreds of lawsuits around the
country.
VW Group of America President and CEO Michael Horn is announcing
the news at the Los Angeles Auto Show and is making his first
significant public remarks since he testified before Congress on
the emissions scandal on Oct. 8.
VW has set aside 6.5 billion euros ($6.9 billion) to cover costs
after it admitted to installing "defeat devices" in 11 million
vehicles worldwide with diesel engines built since 2008. The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said VW could face up
to $18 billion in maximum fines.
U.S. regulators said last week that they believe VW also
installed illegal software in more than 10,000 larger Porsche,
Audi and VW vehicles in the United States with 3.0 liter engines
that emitted up to 9 times legally allowable emissions. VW has
denied those allegations.
(The story corrects headline to 120,000 from 120,00)
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Bernard Orr)
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