A second CARB action against FCA, now part of the Stellantis merger.
Late yesterday the California Air Resources Board reached a settlement agreement with FCA US of Auburn Hills, Mich. for $5,601,090 for violations of CARB’s air quality regulations.
The FCA vehicles involved include MY 2012 through 2018 Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles, equipped with 5.7-liter gasoline engines. This engine configuration was found to not comply with certification emission standards when it was tested by CARB. More than 30,000 vehicles were part of the emissions violation.
FCA cooperated with CARB to resolve all allegations of violating Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Devices regulations. FCA’s settlement includes a $2.8 million civil penalty that will go to CARB’s Air Pollution Control Fund, which provides funding for projects and research to improve California’s air quality. The remaining $2.8 million will fund a Supplemental Environment Project called Cleaner Air for Kids, which has Zero Emission School Bus Funding. This bring more electric school buses to schools in the South Coast Air Basin, CARB said in a release.
“This case is a perfect example of why CARB’s compliance testing is so important in protecting the state’s air quality and public health. CARB staff work every day to identify violations and hold companies accountable for meeting our strict emissions standards,” said CARB Executive Officer Dr. Steven Cliff. “I want to commend CARB staff for their diligence in identifying the violations.”
This is the second enforcement action against FCA – now part of the Stellantis mega merger, during the past four years. In January 2019, CARB entered a joint settlement with FCA for allegations that the company violated environmental and consumer protection laws by using “defeat device software” to circumvent emissions testing on more than 100,000 vehicles nationwide. California received more than $78 million of the $500 million settlement. (autoinformed.com on: FCA Emissions Fraud: Accountability or Accountancy?)*
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*That 2019 settlement resolved allegations that Fiat Chrysler installed software in diesel vehicles that would cause nitrogen oxide emissions from vehicles to be within legal limits during emission testing, but to exceed legal limits during ordinary operation.
These were detected in a joint effort by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and CARB using enhanced screening and testing procedures originally developed during testing of Volkswagen light-duty diesel vehicles. Shortly after revelations of excess emissions by Volkswagen in September, 2015 all manufacturers of light-duty diesel vehicles were told that these new testing methods would be employed to identify defeat devices.
Following the Volkswagen emission cheating scandal, CARB and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) performed enhanced screening on diesel vehicles sold by all manufacturers. Using the new testing procedures, the agencies alleged that diesel 2014-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500s contained defeat devices. In addition to misleading regulators and violating environmental laws, Fiat Chrysler’s use of the defeat device software and marketing of the vehicles violated California consumer protection laws. The vehicles were marketed to consumers as environmentally friendly, meeting or exceeding California’s emissions rules, and providing best in class fuel economy and driving range.
CARB settles with FCA for $5.6M on Air Quality Violations
A second CARB action against FCA, now part of the Stellantis merger.
Late yesterday the California Air Resources Board reached a settlement agreement with FCA US of Auburn Hills, Mich. for $5,601,090 for violations of CARB’s air quality regulations.
The FCA vehicles involved include MY 2012 through 2018 Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles, equipped with 5.7-liter gasoline engines. This engine configuration was found to not comply with certification emission standards when it was tested by CARB. More than 30,000 vehicles were part of the emissions violation.
FCA cooperated with CARB to resolve all allegations of violating Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Devices regulations. FCA’s settlement includes a $2.8 million civil penalty that will go to CARB’s Air Pollution Control Fund, which provides funding for projects and research to improve California’s air quality. The remaining $2.8 million will fund a Supplemental Environment Project called Cleaner Air for Kids, which has Zero Emission School Bus Funding. This bring more electric school buses to schools in the South Coast Air Basin, CARB said in a release.
“This case is a perfect example of why CARB’s compliance testing is so important in protecting the state’s air quality and public health. CARB staff work every day to identify violations and hold companies accountable for meeting our strict emissions standards,” said CARB Executive Officer Dr. Steven Cliff. “I want to commend CARB staff for their diligence in identifying the violations.”
This is the second enforcement action against FCA – now part of the Stellantis mega merger, during the past four years. In January 2019, CARB entered a joint settlement with FCA for allegations that the company violated environmental and consumer protection laws by using “defeat device software” to circumvent emissions testing on more than 100,000 vehicles nationwide. California received more than $78 million of the $500 million settlement. (autoinformed.com on: FCA Emissions Fraud: Accountability or Accountancy?)*
AutoInformed on
AutoInformed on VW Dieselgate
*That 2019 settlement resolved allegations that Fiat Chrysler installed software in diesel vehicles that would cause nitrogen oxide emissions from vehicles to be within legal limits during emission testing, but to exceed legal limits during ordinary operation.
These were detected in a joint effort by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and CARB using enhanced screening and testing procedures originally developed during testing of Volkswagen light-duty diesel vehicles. Shortly after revelations of excess emissions by Volkswagen in September, 2015 all manufacturers of light-duty diesel vehicles were told that these new testing methods would be employed to identify defeat devices.
Following the Volkswagen emission cheating scandal, CARB and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) performed enhanced screening on diesel vehicles sold by all manufacturers. Using the new testing procedures, the agencies alleged that diesel 2014-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500s contained defeat devices. In addition to misleading regulators and violating environmental laws, Fiat Chrysler’s use of the defeat device software and marketing of the vehicles violated California consumer protection laws. The vehicles were marketed to consumers as environmentally friendly, meeting or exceeding California’s emissions rules, and providing best in class fuel economy and driving range.