美国政府就排放门对大众汽车提起诉讼

Volkswagen’s legal troubles deepened yesterday as the US government filed a lawsuit against it over the emissions test-rigging scandal that threatens to cost the embattled carmaker tens of billions of dollars.

大众(Volkswagen)昨日进一步深陷法律纠纷。美国政府针对其排放测试作弊丑闻提起法律诉讼，可能使这家陷入困境的汽车制造商面临数百亿美元的罚款。

The complaint leaves the German carmaker facing potential fines of up to $32,500 per vehicle for violations before January 2009 and $37,500 per vehicle for later violations.

这家德国汽车制造商可能要为2009年1月以前出厂的每辆违规汽车支付高达32500美元的罚款，为之后出厂的每辆违规车辆支付37500美元的罚款。

The civil lawsuit was filed by the US justice department on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency, which exposed VW’s alleged wrong last September.

这起民事诉讼是由美国司法部(US Justice Department)代表去年9月曝光大众涉嫌不当行为的美国国家环境保护局(EPA)提起的。

The complaint alleges the group fitted nearly 600,000 VWs, Audis and Porsches with diesel engines that contained illegal “defeat devices” and caused emissions to exceed EPA standards.

诉状声称，大众为近60万辆大众、奥迪(Audi)和保时捷(Porsche)车辆安装了包含非法“减效装置”的柴油发动机，使这些车辆的排放超出美国国家环保局的标准。

John Cruden, head of the justice department’s environment and natural resources division, said: “The United States will pursue all appropriate remedies against Volkswagen to redress the violations of our nation’s clean air laws.”

美国司法部环境和自然资源司负责人约翰克鲁登(John Cruden)表示：“美国将寻求对大众采取所有适当的法律补救手段，纠正违反我国清洁空气法的行为。”

The complaint also says the carmaker broke the law by importing and selling vehicles with designs that differed from the data given to regulators.

诉状还表示，大众还进口和销售在设计上与提交给监管机构的数据有出入的车辆，这也违反了法律。

VW has so far set aside 6.7bn to deal with the projected cost of resolving the problems with the nitrogen oxide emissions controls.

大众迄今已拨出67亿欧元，应对解决氮氧化物排放控制问题预计所需的成本。

Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance at the EPA, said: “With today’s filing, we take an important step to protect public health by seeking to hold Volkswagen accountable for any unlawful air pollution, setting us on a path to resolution.”

美国国家环保局主管执法和合规保证的助理局长辛西娅贾尔斯(Cynthia Giles)表示：“通过提起诉讼，我们迈出了重要的一步，寻求让大众为任何非法污染空气的行为负起责任，以求保护公众的健康，籍此走上解决问题的道路。”

She also revealed the EPA and VW have yet to resolve differences over how to handle vehicles currently on the road that are fitted with the devices.

她还透露，有关如何处理已经上路的安装了作弊装置的车辆，美国国家环保局和大众还未能解决分歧。

“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,” she said.

她表示：“到目前为止，和该公司进行的召回讨论还未能取得可接受的进展。这些讨论将继续与联邦法院的行动同时进行。”

The justice department’s action is the latest in a series of legal steps taken by US authorities against VW since Sept 18, when the EPA first it had discovered a “defeat device” to cheat emissions tests in 482,000 VW and Audi vehicles with two-litre diesel engines sold in the US since 2008.

美国司法部的这一举措是去年9月18日以后美国当局采取的一系列法律措施中的最新行动。当时美国国家环保局首次宣布，发现2008年后大众在美国销售的48.2万辆2L排量柴油发动机的大众和奥迪汽车安装了欺骗排放测试的“减效装置”。

VW said it would “continue to work closely with the US authorities”.

大众表示将“继续和美国有关部门密切合作”。