News Briefs | 08.01.17

California to Receive Almost $154 Million More in VW Settlement Funds

A consent decree filed July 20 requires Volkswagen to pay California another $153.8 million in penalties and costs over the cheater “defeat device” emissions scandal, according to CARB. The increase brings VW’s total settlement in California to $1.3 billion, which includes $93.8 million for an air pollution control fund run by CARB, and $60 million to cover CARB’s past and future costs associated with the case.

This settlement is in addition to the more than $15 billion VW has already agreed to pay government agencies and consumers for rigging hundreds of thousands of cars to cheat air-pollution regulations.

Culver City Honored as 2017 Elite Fleet for CNG Adoption, Opens New CNG Station

For the fourth year in a row, Government Fleet magazine recognized Culver City as an Elite Fleet. The award recognizes fleets that perform at a high level, and the magazine chose Culver City for its early adoption of CNG as the single-fuel source for all of its fleet vehicles. Culver City is one of four North American cities given the honor in 2017. Mayor Jeffrey Cooper said that using CNG saves 900,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel and $1.2 million annually.

The city also opened its newly upgraded CNG fueling station. The $1 million Clean Energy project included installing two natural gas compressors that will enable Culver City to more efficiently fuel its more than 100 CNG vehicles.

Costa Mesa Launches CNG Shuttle Bus

The Orange County city of Costa Mesa recently launched the Costa Mesa Line, a free shuttle bus powered by CNG serving the South Coast Metro area. The Costa Mesa Line is a partnership between the city, Anaheim Resort Transportation, Travel Costa Mesa, and the Orange County Transportation Authority.