Volkswagen needs to explain away software to avoid criminal charges

Washington

VOLKSWAGEN AG will probably have to show that there was some legitimate reason to install software that led to false vehicle emissions tests if it is to avoid US criminal charges, lawyers said on Tuesday.

The German carmaker has admitted to US clean air regulators that in some of its diesel cars it used a so-called "defeat device", software designed to defeat emissions tests. As a result it is almost certainly exposed to very large civil penalties that could be imposed by the US government, said lawyers with expertise in environmental prosecutions though not involved in the Volkswagen case.