[E206]U.S. VWs go back to the factory after illegal diesel hack…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency[环境保护署EPA] and California officials say some 482,000 Volkswagen[大众汽车（财富500强公司之一）] and Audi diesels[柴油机；柴油；柴油车] were engineered to[被改造] falsify[伪造；篡改；歪曲；证明...虚假] their emissions for federal tests — a violation[违反；妨碍，侵害；违背] that opens the German automaker[汽车制造商] to a theoretical fine totaling $18 billion. The affected models had software in their computer engine controls that could sense exactly when they were being tested for emissions quality. At all other times, the diesels would run in a different mode with illegal levels of pollution — for example, spewing[ 喷出；呕吐] up to 40 times more nitrogen oxide[氧化氮；氮的氧化物], a key component of smog[雾霾的一种重要成分], than allowed.

Using a defeat device in cars to evade[逃避；规避；逃脱] clean air standards is illegal and a threat to public health.

Cynthia Giles, EPA assistant administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance

While other automakers have been accused of violating the Clean Air Act[清洁空气法], this is the first time one has been found to have designed software specifically to circumvent the law[法律规避]. However, owners are able to keep their cars; they remain legal to drive and sell. Volkswagen issued a statement[发表声明] saying it was cooperating with the agencies and would have no further comment today.