VW has admitted cheating on US air pollution tests.
The company faces fines in the billions of dollars, possible criminal charges for its executives and puts its expansion plans at risk over the admission that Volkswagen Group’s vehicles were worse polluters than test results show.
America’s powerful environmental protection agency (EPA) said on Friday, local time, that the violations could add up to US$18 billion in fines. VW and Audi diesel cars sold between 2009 and 2015 had software fitted that only turned on ‘full’ pollution controls during official emissions tests.
The sneaky system was labelled a “defeat device” by the EPA, which estimated actual emissions at between 10 and 40 times the level tests showed.
EPA officials are working with the US Justice Department – which says criminal prosecutions could, theoretically, be pursued over the matter.
Volkswagen, along with its Audi and Porsche brands make up for 63% of American diesel sales.
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