If the accusations against Volkswagen hold up, Americans should be outraged at the company's cynical and deliberate efforts to violate one of this country's most important environmental laws.
On Friday, the federal Environmental Protection Agency accused the German automaker of outfitting nearly half a million VW and Audi diesel vehicles with illegal "defeat devices" designed to circumvent vehicle emissions tests. The devices were not installed by accident, oversight or errant design. According to the EPA's description, VW's actions were willful, and as a result these cars — from the 2009-15 model years — can each generate up to 40 times the maximum allowed emissions of nitrogen oxides, gases linked to smog and climate change.