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4 former VW execs found guilty of fraud in ‘Dieselgate’ case
CDG News Alert (1 min. read)
Anna del Villar
May 27, 2025
Driving the news: Four former Volkswagen executives were sentenced to prison Monday for their roles in the emissions-cheating scandal that permanently reshaped Europe's car market over the past decade, reports the New York Times.
For context: Jens Hadler, who ran diesel engine development, got the harshest sentence at four and a half years for what judges called "particularly serious" fraud. His team had rigged software to cheat emissions tests by cranking up pollution controls during inspections, but running dirty the rest of the time.
Why it matters: Before 2015, diesel vehicles made up over half the European market, marketed as the clean alternative to gasoline. Now they're down to just 10% of new car sales, a stunning collapse that fundamentally changed how Europeans think about environmentally friendlier cars.
What we're watching: The diesel downfall is helping to turbocharge Europe's electric transition in ways nobody expected. EVs and plug-in hybrids now grab 25% of new car sales.
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