Volkswagen 'wrongfooted' by US going public on emissions

Embattled German automaker Volkswagen believed it could clear up emissions-cheating allegations with US authorities amicably and was caught offguard by them going public instead, a key company document revealed Monday. "The public announcement of the diesel issue by the EPA (US Environment Protection Agency) ... came as a surprise for the VW management at the time," according to the company's official written response to a lawsuit by German shareholders. A copy of the 113-page document, which of