By David Shepardson
(Reuters) -Stellantis unit FCA US has agreed to pay $4.2 million to settle a California investigation into excess emissions, the state said on Monday.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) said vehicles covered by the settlement for violations of air quality regulations include 2014 to 2016 Ram ProMaster 1500, 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines.
The state said the vehicles had an unapproved device that bypassed emissions controls and resulted in the release of nearly 55 tons of excess nitrogen oxides into the air. Stellantis (NYSE paid a $5.6 million settlement to California in 2022 over similar allegations related to gasoline vehicles.
Stellantis did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company agreed, as part of the settlement, to recall the vehicles from the market to modify the emissions control system so that they comply with state regulations.
The settlement includes a civil penalty of more than $2 million that will go to the state's Air Pollution Control Fund and $2.1 million that will fund a project to provide incentives for ocean-going cargo ships to slow down in certain areas. during peak whale and ozone seasons to provide wildlife and air quality benefits.
In a separate federal emissions investigation, FCA US pleaded guilty in June 2022 to criminal conspiracy and agreed to pay about $300 million in a plea deal to resolve a US Department of Justice diesel emissions fraud investigation. .
In 2019, California settled with the FCA over allegations that it used “defeat device software” to bypass emissions testing on more than 100,000 diesel vehicles nationwide. California received more than $78 million of the $500 million settlement.
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