by David Shepardson
(Reuters) – FCA US’s Stellantis unit has agreed to pay $4.2 million to resolve a California investigation into excessive emissions, the state said on Monday.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) said the vehicles included in the settlement for air quality violations include 2014-2016 Ram ProMaster 1500, 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with 3.0-liter diesel engines.
The state said the vehicles were equipped with an unapproved device that bypassed emissions controls, releasing nearly 55 tons of excess nitrogen oxides into the air. In 2022, Stellantis (NYSE:) paid a $5.6 million settlement to California for similar allegations involving gas-powered vehicles.
Stellantis did not immediately respond to a request for comment. As part of the settlement, the company agreed to recall the vehicles to modify the emissions control system to comply with state regulations.
The settlement includes a civil penalty of more than $2 million that will go to the state’s Air Pollution Control Fund and $2.1 million that will fund a project to provide incentives for ocean-going cargo ships to sluggish down in certain areas during peak whale and ozone seasons. to provide benefits for wildlife and air quality.
In a separate federal emissions investigation, FCA US in June 2022 pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy and agreed to pay approximately $300 million in a settlement to resolve a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into diesel emissions fraud.
In 2019, California settled with FCA over allegations that it used “jamming device software” to bypass emissions tests on more than 100,000 diesel vehicles nationwide. California received more than $78 million of the $500 million settlement.
