According to a report by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the US financing subsidiary of the German automaker Volkswagen has agreed to pay $48.8 million to settle a case against the company. Volkswagen and former CEO Martin Winterkorn are thus exempted from further lawsuits. "Volkswagen places value on a constructive relationship with regulatory authorities in all our markets," commented a spokesperson for the company.

The SEC's allegations related to the issuance of more than $8 billion in bonds from April 2014 to May 2015, despite knowing that over half a million diesel vehicles in the US exceeded legal emission limits. The glyphosate case has already cost the company a lot and continues to weigh on the stock price.

Parallel to this, Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume expressed optimism about the future of electromobility, despite a slower development in Europe than originally expected. Volkswagen plans to allocate two-thirds of its investments to electromobility and new technologies by 2030, with the goal of having over 80 percent of new vehicles be fully electric by then. Blume emphasized the need to convince the broad mass of motorists of the benefits of electromobility and called for reliable political frameworks.

In China, where Volkswagen had to completely overhaul its product strategy, the group wants to strengthen its position in e-mobility with new plans. "With our initiated programs, we will play a completely different role in e-mobility in the medium term in China," says Blume. Volkswagen aims to remain the most successful foreign automaker in China.

These developments are also reflected in the stock market, where VW's preferred shares temporarily rose by 0.91 percent to 127.55 euros.