EPA: Fiat Chrysler Cheated On Emissions Testing, Too

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday accused Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV of installing emissions-cheating software in some of its diesel-engine pickups and SUVs, according to media reports. Fiat Chrysler denied the allegations, saying that it hasn’t installed any illegal software in its vehicles and that it meets regulatory standards.

The “notice of violation” issued by the EPA accuses Fiat Chrysler of failing to disclose the software on about 104,000 diesel-powered Dodge Ram 1500 pickups and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs for model years 2014-2016. The EPA expanded its investigation into emissions cheating after the Volkswagen scandal but stopped short of calling the software Fiat Chrysler uses a “defeat device” like that used by the German automaker in millions of its diesel-engine vehicles.

The EPA claims the Fiat Chrysler software shuts down during testing and sometimes during driving, “contributing to illegal pollution,” according to a 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,” Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said in the statement.

The software in the Dodge and Jeep diesel engines has “nothing in common” with the emissions cheating software used by Volkswagen, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said in a Thursday conference call with reporters after the EPA issued its notice.

He called such comparisons “absolute nonsense,” The Detroit News reported.

“The dispute that is going on now between the EPA and the FCA is whether the calibration that was filed (during testing to certify emission requirements) was a calibration that met all regulations,” Marchionne said.

He said Fiat Chrysler executives and employees would not “try something as stupid” as cheating on emissions tests, according to a report in The New York Times.

“We don’t belong to a class of criminals,” Marchionne said. “We have done, in our view, nothing that is illegal.”

In a statement, Fiat Chrysler said all automakers employ “various strategies” to cut emissions without compromising the durability and performance of their vehicles but that it would address EPA concerns with software changes, The Washington Post reported.

“FCA U.S. intends to work with the incoming administration to present its case and resolve this matter fairly and equitably and to assure the EPA and FCA U.S. customers that the company’s diesel-powered vehicles meet all applicable regulatory requirements,” the company said.

On Wednesday, Volkswagen pleaded guilty to three felony charges and agreed to pay $4.3 billion in civil and criminal fines to settle its diesel emissions cheating scandal. Also Wednesday, the Justice Department said it was charging six Volkswagen executives and employees — including Oliver Schmidt, who was in charge of Volkswagen's environmental and engineering office in Michigan — for their roles in the long-running scandal.

Photo of 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited EcoDiesel by Cherry Hill Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram via Flickr Commons