Gregson Mathe
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, or FCA for short, has just pulled a Volkswagen. That terminology I believe will become lexicon in the marketplace quite soon. Why? Because Volkswagen was the first to be caught by the EPA on a diesel emissions cheat. Now FCA just got nabbed by the EPA on a similar charge.
FCA’s president, Sergio Marchionne, has given his unofficial response to the EPA and this apparent cheat. It’s pretty much a giant “Fuck you” aimed directly at them.
Marchionne: This is absolute nonsense (comparing @VW to @FiatChrysler_NA), says anyone who does this "is smoking illegal material."
— Michael Wayland (@MikeWayland) January 12, 2017
Was He Lying?
However, Marchionne has said over and over again that FCA was not using the VW style cheat.
https://twitter.com/LarryVellequett/status/819570057328070657
https://twitter.com/LarryVellequett/status/819581700195975169
The official charge is similar to VW: “FCA installed and failed to disclose engine management software that results in increase emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the vehicles.” Where is the cheat found? Allegedly in 2014-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokees as well as Dodge Ram 1500s. The engine in question is FCA’s “EcoDiesel” 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6.
Auxiliary emission control devices are the crux of the problem, according to the EPA. This is by no means final and the EPA is still investigating the potential cheat. We should hear very soon on this matter as it’s clearly a hot button issue across the entirety of the automotive world these days.
More news on this as we have it.
(Source: Road & Track)
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