In compliance with a settlement reached with federal and California authorities, engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. is set to recall 600,000 Ram trucks. The agreement also mandates the company to address environmental harm from using illicit software, allowing it to bypass diesel emissions tests.
Cummins had previously consented to a substantial settlement, agreeing to a $1.675 billion civil penalty to resolve claims. This penalty stands as the largest ever secured under the Clean Air Act. Additionally, Cummins committed $325 million for pollution remedies as part of the agreement.
The cumulative penalty for Cummins now surpasses $2 billion, a figure deemed “landmark” by officials from the Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency, California Air Resources Board, and the California Attorney General.
Allegedly spanning a decade, Stellantis-manufactured Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty pickup trucks equipped with Cummins diesel engines were fitted with software. This software purportedly restricted nitrogen oxide pollution during emissions tests but permitted higher pollution levels during regular operations, according to claims by government authorities.
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About 630,000 pickups from 2013 through 2019 are equipped with “defeat devices.” These pickups will be recalled. Another 330,000 trucks from 2019 through 2023 had emissions control software issues.
However, the government states that these issues didn’t disable emissions controls. Officials are unable to estimate how many of the recalled trucks are still on the road.
Stellantis opted not to comment on the case, referring inquiries to Cummins. Court documents indicate that Cummins has denied the government’s allegations and is not acknowledging liability.
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In a statement, Cummins mentioned that their actions do not entail any additional financial commitments beyond those disclosed in December. The statement anticipated gaining certainty as the protracted matter concluded and emphasized the company’s commitment to powering a more prosperous world.
Cummins clarified that the engines mentioned but not subject to the recall did not surpass emissions limits. The penalty also includes repercussions for the undisclosed software, as stated by the company.
In adherence to the settlement terms, Cummins is addressing smog-forming pollution resulting from its actions. In a prepared statement, U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland noted that initial estimates indicated the emissions bypass employed by Cummins produced “thousands of tons of excess emissions of nitrogen oxides.”
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The Clean Air Act, enacted in 1963, mandates emission limits for car and engine manufacturers to combat air pollution and protect the environment. Aimed at the transportation sector, which contributes one-third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, these limits focus on reducing pollutants from burning gasoline and diesel, including carbon dioxide.
Diesel exhaust poses a health risk as a carcinogen, and prolonged exposure to nitrogen oxides, which contribute to ozone formation, can lead to respiratory infections, lung disease, and asthma.
Officials noted last week that the Cummins settlement is noteworthy, considering several other high-profile emissions cheating cases within the auto industry in recent years.
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