San Francisco: A US federal judge overseeing the Volkswagen emissions scandal said on Friday that he is optimistic about reaching an agreement for the last 80,000 vehicles affected in the United States.
A new hearing has been set for tomorrow to review the German carmaker's proposals.
"I'm pleased to report that there has been substantial progress and I'm optimistic that there will be a resolution of this matter," San Francisco judge Charles Breyer said during a brief hearing, without giving further details.
At the end of October, the US court endorsed a record-setting $15bn compensation deal that covered the approximately 480,000 2.0-liter Volkswagen diesel cars equipped with software designed to defeat emissions tests.
But that agreement did not apply to the 80,000 3.0-liter engine models on the roads in the United States, and for several months, the company has been negotiating with the US authorities to reach an acceptable compensation agreement for these car owners.
Initial proposals in July were deemed incomplete and considerably flawed by US authorities, who called for the same type of agreement given to other owners, including the choice between buyback and repair. Any agreements reached in the United States only regulate the civil aspects of the emissions cheating case.
The scandal first broke in September 2015 in the United States.
