The automotive group has been ordered to pay a $4.2 million fine by California for violating very specific emission standards. At the center of the diatribe, would be Ram ProMaster vans which were manufactured with illegal devices that allowed them to pollute well over the allowed limits.
Stellantis fined in California
Stellantis has agreed to pay a $4.2 million fine to the state of California. This fine was enforced following an investigation that was conducted by the California Environmental Protection Agency (CARB). This study found that some models of Ram ProMaster commercial vans, which more precisely were manufactured between 2014 and 2016 and equipped with a particular type of diesel engine (3.0-liter EcoDiesel I4, built by Iveco), were equipped with devices that were illegal according to current regulations. These devices gave the vans the ability to emit a much higher amount of pollutants (nitrogen oxides) than allowed by law.
Speaking of nitrogen oxides, we can point out that they are harmful substances that pollute the air and can also cause health problems for people. Because of these illegal devices, Ram ProMaster vans emitted nearly 55 tons more nitrogen oxides than would have been allowed, so a figure that does not go unnoticed at all. With this recently signed agreement, Stellantis admitted to violating environmental protection laws and pledged to pay the fine imposed by California authorities.
What exactly does the agreement between Stellantis and California involve?
It is also important to note that the EcoDiesel engines involved in this matter are different from the more popular ones, such as those fitted in Ram 1500 and Jeep vehicles. The agreement reached includes two main actions. First is the penalty, for which the company will have to pay a fine of more than $2 million that will be needed to fund projects that will be used to improve air quality in California. Secondly, it is also environmental investments, which amount to about $2.1 million will be allocated to initiatives to protect whales and reduce air pollution that is continually caused by cargo ships, especially during times when whales migrate and therefore can be affected.
Stellantis, the parent company of FCA, has already been involved several times in scandals related to pollution from its vehicles. In 2022 for example, the company had to pay fines to both the state of California and the U.S. federal government for selling cars that did not meet the standards of pollutant emission standards. Specifically, several popular models such as the Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Dodge Durango, which were delivered with gasoline or diesel engines, were involved there. The company admitted that it installed software in its vehicles to manipulate emission test results, causing the cars to come out less polluting than they really were. Because of these violations, Stellantis had to pay multimillion-dollar penalties and admitted guilt. The hope is that no more occasions like the ones we have discussed will arise. People’s lives certainly do not deserve to be put on the back burner to make room for commercial vehicles.