- The Justice Department on Monday filed a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against Volkswagen for illegally selling emissions-cheating cars in the U.S. from 2009 until last year and said the automaker withheld information about its 3-liter diesel engine’s “defeat device” after investigators uncovered the scandal.
The lawsuit, filed in eastern Michigan court, seeks more than $40 billion in damages from the automaker.
In announcing the lawsuit, officials from the Environmental Protection Agency signaled that regulators and officials may be at a standstill with Volkswagen regarding how it intends to fix its cars in the U.S.
“So far, recall discussions with the company have not produced an acceptable way forward. These discussions will continue in parallel with the federal court action,” Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance at EPA, said in a statement.
low whistle For those keeping track at home, the Deepwater Horizon spill has so far cost BP $28 billion, although it may go up another 18 billion. And the US isn't the only country VW can be sued in. I like Bloomberg's take:The U.S. government's lawsuit against Volkswagen threatens the German automaker with such heavy penalties that, in hindsight, it may not have been worth it for VW to be present in the U.S. market at all.
It's a beautiful thought, but demand for electric vehicles is still below supply and VW has a lot of mouths to feed. They've only got the one and I don't know of anyone who's been dying to pick one up, you know?