Feds Sue Volkswagen Over Diesels In Sign Of Stand-Off

The U.S. government sued Volkswagen on Monday over 600,000 vehicles with fraudulent emissions software, signaling it was unsatisfied with the German auto giant’s proposed solutions.

While the federal lawsuit filed in Detroit contained no new allegations, it opened a new legal front against VW, with the government now asking a judge to force the automaker to act or levy fines that could reach the tens of billions.

VW has admitted it installed emissions software in 11 million vehicles worldwide that would sense when a vehicle was being tested, letting up to 40 times the allowed levels of harmful nitrous oxides escape during normal driving. VW has proposed fixes to European and American officials, but has not detailed what those fixes would include for U.S. owners.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Monday those fixes were not enough.