Engine maker Cummins Inc. has been slapped with a massive $2 billion tab in a settlement over allegations of cheating emissions tests. They are set to recall 600,000 Ram trucks, as confirmed by new details released Wednesday. This move follows negotiations with federal and California officials, addressing the environmental wreckage left by software designed to get around diesel emissions examinations. Cummins is on the hook for a $1.675 billion civil penalty – a record sum under the Clean Air Act – with another $325 million earmarked for anti-pollution efforts, according to CBS News Detroit.
Investigators discovered that Cummins equipped their diesel engines in Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty pickup trucks with illicit software that hampered nitrogen oxide pollution only during testing, but permitted higher pollution levels during normal drives. This decade-long deceit involved roughly 630,000 trucks from model years 2013 to 2019 installed with these so-called "defeat devices". In a development that was called "landmark" by officials from the Justice Department, EPA, and California regulators, this settlement is poised to send a clear message to auto manufacturers everywhere. "Let’s this settlement be a lesson: We won’t let greedy corporations cheat their way to success and run over the health and wellbeing of consumers and our environment along the way," California AG Rob Bonta was quoted in reporting by Gainesville Register.
While Cummins denies the allegations and does not admit liability, court documents show the engine manufacturer pushing back against the government's claims. Despite this, they are facing accountability in a tangible way. Their statement mentioned they're looking to get past this issue and focus on their objective of powering a more prosperous world. The fines include punitive measures for the previously unreported software found in the additional 330,000 trucks from 2019 through 2023, which did not disable emissions controls, yet were not transparently communicated to authorities, as reported by CBS News Detroit.
It's not just the corporate wallet that's taking a hit; environment protections are also forefront in the settlement. Cummins must reconcile for the smog-creating pollution their actions yielded. The excess nitrogen oxides released are known pathogens to human health, potentially causing respiratory infections, lung disease, and asthma. "Cummins knowingly harmed people’s health and our environment when they skirted state emissions tests and requirements," Attorney General Bonta told The Trucker. The settlement, thereby, includes corrective measures to overhaul affected engines at no additional cost to consumers.
This enforcement action stacks upon a pile of similar cases that have rocked the auto industry in recent years. Recalling the notorious Dieselgate scandal where Volkswagen pled guilty to its deceit, and Fiat Chrysler and Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, also faced repercussions for their emission scandals. "There's a lot of sunk money into diesel engines and people making profits off of diesel engines," Columbia's Jacqueline Klopp highlighted to CBS News Detroit, emphasizing the importance of hefty fines as a deterrent to prioritize health over profits.
