The EPA has just thrown down a gauntlet that says they are not messing around with devices that fool emissions testing. Just ask Cummins. The company, best known for high performance diesel engine manufacturing for industrial and heavy duty trucks, is preparing to pay a $1.675 Billion penalty for installing defeat devices on a variety of their engines including: “630,000 model year 2013 to 2019 RAM 2500 and 3500 pickup truck engines. The company also allegedly installed undisclosed auxiliary emission control devices on 330,000 model year 2019 to 2023 RAM 2500 and 3500 pickup truck engines,” according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Cummins and the Justice Department reached the settlement in reference to claims that Cummins’ violated the Clean Air Act by installing devices that bypassed, defeated, or rendered inoperative emissions controls such as emission sensors and onboard computers in certain engines. The
According to Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, “The types of devices we allege that Cummins installed in its engines to cheat federal environmental laws have a significant and harmful impact on people’s health and safety. For example, in this case, our preliminary estimates suggest that defeat devices on some Cummins engines have caused them to produce thousands of tons of excess emissions of nitrogen oxides. The cascading effect of those pollutants can, over long-term exposure, lead to breathing issues like asthma and respiratory infections.”
The fine, which will also apply to “Caterpillar, Inc., Cummins Engine Company, Detroit Diesel Corporation, Mack Trucks, Inc., Navistar International Transportation Corporation, Renault Vehicules Industriels, s.a., and Volvo Truck Corporation,” according to the EPA.
The issue of emissions workarounds have been a hot topic in recent years, particularly in the race community where the risk to small manufacturers designing products specifically for the race track seems huge. To see a large manufacturer dinged by the EPA both speaks to the agency’s seriousness about emissions regulations and perhaps equal proof that they are interested in handling bigger issues. The number of Cummins engines (630,000) that were involved makes the smaller number of race-related products seem somewhat insignificant. On the other hand, the EPA is NOT playing on this issue. Both the Fiat Chrysler and Volkswagen diesel scandals also speak to that, but it will be interesting to see how the emissions defeat situation continues to play out.
Where the hell does all this penaty money go????
Into the democrats coffers to try to steal the next election too. 🙁
I imagine they’ll be recalling all those vehicles for reprogramming, as well as to restore any hardware needed to bring them into compliance.
There goes your diesel power and economy.
They’ll likely also cancel your registration and/or impound the vehicle if it’s not fixed too.
Here come the recalls, to reprogram all these trucks and bring them into compliance.
There goes your diesel power and economy.
They’ll also cancel your registration, and possibly impound any vehicles that aren’t fixed as well.