Volkswagen to recall half a million cars due to air pollution

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The German car company has been ordered by the US regulators to recall about 500,000 cars due to a device that disguises pollution levels. The device is said to allow cars to pass lab testing even though they actually emit 40 times the emissions standard, the BBC reports. The recall by estimation could cost Volkswagen up to $18bn (£11.5bn).
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been taking a more aggressive stance on car pollution and violations of the country's Clean Air Act. "Using a defeat device in cars to evade clean air standards is illegal and a threat to public health," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.
The recall affects 2009-2014 Jettas, Beetles, Audi A3s and Golfs and 2014-2015 Passats.
The illegal system allowed cars to detect when they were undergoing smog emission test and lowered the rate of pollution. Those emission controls were then turned off during ordinary use.
In 2014 the EPA fined Korean automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors $300m for misrepresenting the fuel economy in 1.2 million of their cars. That settlement is the highest to date.