Re: It all depends on the outcome
VW should not get away with breaking the law
But did they actually break the law or make false declarations?
From the reports it is obvious that ALL cars (with particular engines etc.) had the same software, so VW could hand-on-heart (!) say that the vehicle(s) provided for testing had not been modified from the consumer available version.
Likewise, what does the EPA emission limit really mean, is it an average, an absolute maximum never to be exceeded etc. etc. I can see the legal people will be looking for all sorts of technicalities.
the US does have a history of punishing overseas corporations more than their own.
This is VW's achilles heel, just as it was BP's over Deepwater Horizon, but not Exxon's over the Exxon Valdez...