The difference with dieselgate is that the cheating was known by European regulators, who did not bother enforcing the law. https://www.theguardian.com/enviro

The difference with dieselgate is that the cheating was known by European regulators, who did not bother enforcing the law. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/20/european-commission-warned-car-maker-suspected-cheating-five-years-vw-scandal https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/20/european... VW was surprised by the American response, since they simply did not expect the law to be enforced (they were apparently unaware of a similar diesel scandal that occurred with US truck manufacturers in the 90’s). Source: Faster, Higher, Farther: The Inside Story of the Volkswagen Scandal Book by Jack Ewing