Former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Role in Diesel Emissions Scandal

He was handed a suspended prison sentence of 21 months and ordered to pay a fine.

Stadler admitted wrongdoing and regret his failure to keep rigged cars off the market.

Three lower-ranking managers also took plea deals in the two and a half year-long trial in Munich.

The scandal cost Volkswagen more than $30 billion in fines and settlements and saw two US executives sent to prison, pushing the entire auto industry away from reliance on diesel engines and helping accelerate the shift to electric vehicles.