The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), yesterday filed a civil complaint in federal court in Detroit, Mich., against Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, Volkswagen Group of America Inc., Volkswagen Group of America Chattanooga Operations LLC, Porsche AG and Porsche Cars North America Inc.
The complaint alleges that nearly 600,000 diesel engine vehicles had illegal defeat devices installed that impair their emission control systems and cause emissions to exceed EPA’s standards, resulting in harmful air pollution. The complaint further alleges that the companies violated the Clean Air Act by selling, introducing into commerce, or