Washington/San Francisco — Robert Bosch, the world’s largest vehicle-parts supplier, was linked to emissions-cheating allegations against a fourth vehicle maker on Thursday, raising questions about the German company’s role in the scandal gripping the car industry. Bosch and General Motors (GM) are co-defendants in a lawsuit filed on Thursday by owners of diesel-powered pick-ups who accused the vehicle maker of using illegal software, known as a defeat device, to pass US emissions tests. Bosch "participated not just in the development of the defeat device, but in the scheme to prevent US regulators from uncovering the device’s true functionality", according to the lawsuit filed in Detroit federal court. "We believe Bosch was the enabler," said attorney Steve Berman, a managing partner at Hagens Berman, who has represented vehicle owners in lawsuits against all four car makers and Bosch over diesel cheating. "They provided the software in a format where manufacturers and Bosch could ...

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