Volkswagen still seeking fix for diesel vehicles

German automaker Volkswagen Group did not present a fix for vehicles involved in its emissions scandal at a short court hearing Thursday in California but reported substantial progress in discussions with regulators.

U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer had set March 24 as something of an informal deadline for the company to reach a solution, but on Thursday he expressed satisfaction with progress the company has made and set another hearing for April 21 to get further updates, Volkswagen spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan said in a phone interview.

Volkswagen is still seeking a fix for about half a million U.S. diesel vehicles that were rigged with software to cheat emissions regulations — a scandal that exploded in September and is expected to cost the company billions of dollars.

The company is discussing a fix with regulators at the Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board.

“Volkswagen is committed to resolving the U.S. regulatory investigation into the diesel emissions matter as quickly as possible and to implementing a solution for affected vehicles, as we work to earn back the trust of our customers and dealers and the public," Volkswagen said in a statement. "We continue to make progress and are cooperating fully with the efforts undertaken ... to bring about a prompt and fair resolution of the U.S. civil litigation.”

Follow Paste BN reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.