The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has accused Fiat Chrysler Automobile (FCA) of violating emission standards by cheating. The allegation states that FCA used software in certain diesel vehicles to fool emission testing. The investigation involves more than 100,000 vehicles, including the 2014-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the 2014-2016 Ram 1500 with the 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 engine.
EPA representative said that FCA used engine control software that allowed excess nitrogen oxides emissions under certain driving conditions, such as climbing grade and/or towing heavy loads.
Here’s FCA’s response: “FCA US has spent months providing voluminous information in response to requests from EPA and other governmental authorities and has sought to explain its emissions control technology to EPA representatives. FCA US has proposed a number of actions to address EPA’s concerns, including developing extensive software changes to our emissions control strategies that could be implemented in these vehicles immediately to further improve emissions performance.
FCA US looks forward to the opportunity to meet with the EPA’s enforcement division and representatives of the new administration to demonstrate that FCA US’s emissions control strategies are properly justified and thus are not “defeat devices” under applicable regulations and to resolve this matter expeditiously.”
We will be keeping an eye on this story as it evolves.
Here is our test of the 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel on the Ike Gauntlet extreme towing test.
