MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP/Getty Image(WASHINGTON) — Federal regulators accused another car company of violating pollution laws. A day after Volkswagen agreed to plead guilty and pay a record fine for cheating emissions tests, the Environmental Protection Agency accused FiatChrysler of doing the same.
“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,”said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “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 EPA alleges that more than a 100,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Ram 1500 trucks with 3.0 liter diesel engines polluted the air more than they should have.
“FiatChrysler programmed the vehicles with software that reduces the effectiveness of critical emissions control functions,” Giles said.
In a statement Thursday, FiatChrysler said not only that the company “believes its emission control systems meet the applicable requirements,” but that they also “are properly justified.”
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