The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced in a press release that they are issuing a second notice of violation of the Clean Air Act to Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., Porsche AG and Porsche Cars North America.
The EPA said that they have found that Volkswagen allegedly installed cheating software in certain Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche light duty diesel vehicles equipped with 3.0-liter engines for the model year 2014 through 2016.
The EPA said in the press release that the vehicles covered in their notice are the diesel versions of the 2014 Volkswagen Touareg, the 2015 Porsche Cayenne, the 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8, A8L, and Q5.
The defeat device found the said vehicles allegedly increases the emissions of nitrogen oxide up to nine times the EPA's standard once the testing is done.
Cynthia Giles, the assistant administrator for the Office for EPA's Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said in the press release that Volkswagen has "once again failed its obligation to comply with the law that protects clean air" in the U.S.
"EPA, with our state, and federal partners, will continue to investigate these serious matters, to secure the benefits of the Clean Air Act, ensure a level playing field for responsible businesses, and to ensure consumers get the environmental performance they expect," she said.
The New York Times adds that regulators have been conduction additional tests on all diesel car models since September, the month that Volkswagen's scandal was uncovered.
Regulators weren't able to find a similar defeat device on other automakers diesel models.
The New York Times adds that Volkswagen is already facing investigations for the emission scandal in Europe and in the U.S.
The automaker has already set aside €6.7 billion, or about $7.4 billion, to cover the expense of recalling and repairing the vehicles equipped with the illegal software.
The new notice of violation will escalate the potential damage to Volkswagen's finance and reputation, according to The New York Times.
Audi and Porsche are the sources of most of the automaker's earnings.
The New York Times adds that Audi and Porsche are success stories in America and the U.S. is Porsche's biggest market.
EPA said in the press release that Volkswagen may be liable for civil penalties and injunctive relief for the violations alleged in the notice.
