Fiat Chrysler is being accused by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for hiding software in a number of its SUVs and pickups that come with diesel engines. Such equipment allegedly allow these vehicles to emit pollution greater than what is permissible under the Clean Air Act.
In an official statement of the EPA, a “notice of violation” was issued to Fiat Chrysler; the notice covers an estimate of 104,000 vehicles, such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram pickups of 2014 through 2016. These vehicles all come with 3-liter diesel engines. The California Air Resources Board also shares similar sentiments over the issue. Cynthia Giles, an assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance at the EPA, already released an official statement.
"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," she said.
The government agency promises that it will carry on with its efforts to look into the “nature and impact” of such equipment. Fiat Chrysler, the world’s seventh largest automobile maker, could be charged with civil penalties in relation to the supposed Clean Air Act violations. The EPA continues to investigate whether the auxiliary emission control devices used by the company fall under “defeat devices,” which are capable of turning pollution controls off and are, thus, illegal.
Meanwhile, Fiat Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne strongly discarded the accusations at a conference call with the media, stating that the company has done nothing wrong and that it has never made attempts to come up with software that will primarily be used for going against emission laws.
"The way that it has been described, I think, has been unfair to FCA, and that is the thing that disturbs me most," Marchionne said about EPA's accusations toward Fiat Chrysler, while adding: "We don't belong to a class of criminals."
This announcement from the EPA comes merely a day after Fiat Chrysler's fellow automaker Volkswagen agreed to pay up $4.3 billion for dishonest emission tests. The company pleaded guilty to criminal charges pointing towards cheating of emission tests, particularly among its “Clean Diesel” group of vehicles.
