NEW YORK/DETROIT: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accused Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV of illegally using hidden software to allow excess diesel emissions to go undetected, the result of a probe that stemmed from regulators’ investigation of rival Volkswagen AG.
FCA shares plummeted as the maximum fine is about $4.6 billion. The EPA action affects 104,000 US trucks and SUVs sold since 2014, about one-sixth the vehicles in the Volkswagen case.
The EPA and California Air Resources Board told Fiat Chrysler it believes its undeclared auxiliary emissions control software allowed vehicles to generate excess pollution in violation of the law and each issued notices of violation.
The US Justice Department is investigating, Fiat Chrysler said on Thursday. Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne angrily rejected the allegations at a hastily-assembled conference call with reporters, saying there was no wrongdoing and the company never attempted to create software to cheat emissions rules by detecting when the vehicle was in test mode. — Reuters
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