VW, in Settlement, to Build Electric Vehicle Stations

Volkswagen will build a massive network of electric vehicle charging stations across California as part of a settlement over its diesel emissions scandal.

The California Air Resources Board has voted unanimously to approve the $200 million plan as the first of a number of steps the German automaker has proposed to take to help cut greenhouse gas emissions in California.  In total, the company has agreed to spend $800 million on zero-emissions electric vehicle infrastructure in the state over 10 years.

The plan calls for 2,500 vehicle chargers to be installed at more than 350 stations across California, complementing a nationwide network of charging stations the company is installing in 38 states.  Stations will be spaced an average of about 70 miles apart in California.

In 2015 the state and the Environmental Protection Agency found that Volkswagen had installed a “defeat device” in its diesel vehicles that would improve vehicle performance and cut pollution during emissions tests.

When the vehicles were being driven under normal conditions, they would emit nitrogen oxide pollution up to 40 times the levels that the EPA allows.  The discovery of Volkswagen’s cheating led to three criminal felony counts, $2.8 billion in penalties, and an agreement to prevent future violations.

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