EPA says VW cheating software may be on more vehicles

WASHINGTON (AP) — Volkswagen's emissions cheating scandal widened today as the Environmental Protection Agency said that software allowing six-cylinder Volkswagen diesel engines to cheat on pollution tests is on more models than originally thought.

The EPA and the California Air Resources Board said the German automaker acknowledged the software is on Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche vehicles with 3-liter engines going back to the 2009 model year. The agencies had previously accused VW of installing the software on about 10,000 cars from the 2014 through 2016 model years, in violation of the Clean Air Act.

The statement says the agencies will investigate and take appropriate action. It did not say how many additional cars had the software.

The agencies claim the software on the six-cylinder diesels allowed them to emit fewer pollutants during tests than in real-world driving. Volkswagen has denied that the software allows the cars to cheat on the tests.