A landmark trial has opened at London’s High Court accusing five major carmakers of cheating on diesel emissions tests. The companies — Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot/Citroën, Renault, and Nissan — are alleged to have installed illegal software to mask pollution levels during lab tests.
Lawyers for nearly 880,000 car owners said the firms “chose to cheat rather than comply with the law.” The case forms part of the wider Dieselgate scandal that has rocked the automotive industry since 2015.
Thomas De La Mare KC, representing the claimants, said manufacturers put profits over public health. He cited research showing excess nitrogen oxide emissions caused 124,000 premature deaths and 98,000 new childhood asthma cases across Europe and the UK.
All five carmakers deny wrongdoing. Renault’s lawyer, Alexander Antelme KC, said the claims were “without merit,” arguing that the accused features were essential for modern diesel engines. Ford’s counsel, Neil Moody KC, called the allegations “scientifically illiterate.”
The scandal first broke when Volkswagen admitted to using “defeat devices” that detected emissions tests and temporarily reduced nitrogen dioxide output. VW has since paid over €32 billion (£27.8 billion) in fines and compensation worldwide.
This new lawsuit could become the largest class action in UK legal history, involving up to 1.6 million car owners and nine additional automakers in future proceedings.
Campaign groups including Mums for Lungs and Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, whose daughter was the first in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of death, attended the hearing, calling for stronger accountability and cleaner air.
The trial continues and could have lasting implications for the global auto industry and emissions regulations.
