Cummins, an American engine manufacturer and supplier to Stellantis, has agreed to pay a sum of 1.7 billion euros to settle allegations of installing devices that bypassed emission controls in several hundred thousand engines used in pickups. The U.S. Department of Justice made this decision public on Friday. This penalty marks the largest civil fine ever imposed for a Clean Air Act violation, a law requiring vehicle and engine manufacturers to meet specific emission standards, as confirmed by the department.
Stellantis: Cummins agrees to pay 1.7 billion euros to end emissions scandal
Cummins faced accusations of fitting engines with devices or components, including software, that allowed for circumventing or rendering emission controls ineffective. It’s believed that these devices, including anti-theft and emission control systems, were integrated into nearly a million engines in Ram pickups produced by Stellantis since 2013. Stellantis has raised concerns about Cummins, but the company reiterated that there’s no evidence of misconduct, denying any irregularities in their statement.
Cummins announced the recall of the 2019 Ram 2500 and 3500 models and initiated a recall campaign for other vehicles featuring these devices. The company expects to incur extraordinary expenses of about 2 billion dollars for the settlements, pending court approval. Cummins hopes to gain clarity once this lengthy process concludes, as stated by the company.
According to the Justice Department, prolonged exposure to such pollutants can lead to a range of respiratory issues, including the onset of asthma and respiratory infections. The 1.67 billion dollar sum Cummins must pay to the U.S. government and the state of California constitutes the second-largest environmental penalty on record. This agreement surpasses only the 2015 settlement with BP, which amounted to over 20 billion dollars and was related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster.