U.S. files civil suit against Volkswagen for environment violations Monday January 04,2016

The Justice Department sued Volkswagen on Monday  January 04,2016  over emissions-cheating software found in nearly 600,000 vehicles sold in the United States.

The civil complaint against the German automaker, filed on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency in US District Court in Detroit, alleges the company illegally installed software designed to make its diesel engines pass federal emissions standards while undergoing laboratory testing.

The vehicles then switched off those measures to boost performance in real-world driving conditions, resulting in greenhouse gas emissions up to 40 times greater than federal environmental standards.