Fiat Chrysler caught up in emissions scandal

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, or FCA, is the latest car company to be drawn into an emissions scandal.

The American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a public ‘notice of violation’ against FCA. This alleges that Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Rams fitted with a 3.0-litre diesel engine, and manufactured from 2014 to 2016, use software which affects their NOx emissions. Such software isn’t necessarily illegal, but failing to make the EPA aware of its fitment could be a big problem for FCA. For now, around 104,000 cars are affected, but only numbers from the US have so far been revealed.

“Failing to disclose software that affects emissions in a vehicle’s engine is a serious violation of the law, which can result in harmful pollution in the air we breathe,” says Cynthia Giles from the EPA.

“We continue to investigate the nature and impact of these devices. All automakers must play by the same rules, and we will continue to hold companies accountable that gain an unfair and illegal competitive advantage.”

The device employed by FCA appears to be one which changes how much NOx is emitted by the car at certain temperatures; allowing the engine to emit more at lower temperatures can protect its durability. This practice isn’t illegal, and doesn’t constitute a ‘defeat device’ like that employed by Volkswagen, which was designed to limit cars’ emissions during official testing conditions.

But while FCA’s software may prove to be legal, failing to disclose it to the EPA is where the problem lies. Not letting authorities know it was fitted raises questions over FCA’s motives for putting it there.

“FCA US is disappointed that the EPA has chosen to issue a notice of violation with respect to the emissions control technology employed in the company’s 2014-16 model year light duty 3.0-litre diesel engines,” reads a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles statement.

“FCA US diesel engines are equipped with state-of-the-art emission control systems hardware, including selective catalytic reduction (SCR). Every auto manufacturer must employ various strategies to control tailpipe emissions in order to balance EPA’s regulatory requirements for low nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and requirements for engine durability and performance, safety and fuel efficiency. FCA US believes that its emission control systems meet the applicable requirements.

“FCA US has spent months providing voluminous information in response to requests from EPA and other governmental authorities and has sought to explain its emissions control technology to EPA representatives. FCA US has proposed a number of actions to address EPA’s concerns, including developing extensive software changes to our emissions control strategies that could be implemented in these vehicles immediately to further improve emissions performance.

“FCA US looks forward to the opportunity to meet with the EPA’s enforcement division and representatives of the new administration to demonstrate that FCA US’s emissions control strategies are properly justified and thus are not “defeat devices” under applicable regulations and to resolve this matter expeditiously.”