Volkswagen eyes agreement soon with feds on emissions

Volkswagen said it is expecting in the coming weeks or months to reach an agreement with federal regulators to remedy the ongoing scandal over emissions cheating.

Herbert Diess, head of Volkswagen’s United States operations, apologized Tuesday night at a Las Vegas event for the scandal and said the company is working hard with officials toward a resolution.

{mosads}“We are in an ongoing constructive dialogue with [the Environmental Protection Agency] … about what is really needed,” Diess said at the Consumer Electronics Show, according to The Associated Press.

“We greatly appreciate their help, and I am optimistic that we will gain their approval within the coming weeks and months,” he said.

In September, Volkswagen admitted to the EPA’s allegations that it sold cars for years that exceeded federal pollution standards. The diesel cars had software installed to cheat emissions tests.

Diess’s assessment contrasts with the federal government’s view of the situation.

The day before his speech, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Volkswagen Group, saying months of negotiations over a fix to its cars have not yielded resolution.

The EPA had a similar opinion Wednesday after Diess’ speech, saying talks “have not produced an acceptable way forward.”

Almost 600,000 cars sold in the United States are affected by the scandal and more than 11 million internationally.

Diess was generally optimistic that the situation will be resolved.

“I’m optimistic that we will find a solution, we will bring a package together which satisfies our customers first and foremost and then also the regulators,” he said, according to the AP.