U.S. sues Volkswagen for billions over emissions scandal

The U.S. Justice Department sued Volkswagen on Monday for billions of dollars in penalties over claims that the automaker installed devices meant to evade fuel emissions standards in nearly 600,000 diesel engine vehicles, ABC News reports.

The complaint the U.S. filed is civil as opposed to criminal, and doesn't carry any charges for Volkswagen executives — factors The New York Times notes may reflect poorly on an Obama administration newly committed to cracking down on corporate crime.

In September, Volkswagen admitted to using so-called defeat devices in 11 million of their vehicles worldwide. In the U.S., vehicles with the cheat devices installed were said to have emitted pollutants at up to 40 times the legal level.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up