Jeep maker settles with California air regulators over emissions test violations

The maker of Jeep, Ram and Dodge vehicles has agreed to settle violations of air-quality regulations in California for $5.6 million, the California Air Resources Board said Friday.

It’s CARB’s second enforcement action in four years against FCA US LLC, which is the North American business of Stellantis NV. The violations affected more than 30,000 2012 to 2018 model-year Ram 1500 pickup trucks, Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs and Dodge Durango SUVs equipped with a 5.7-liter gasoline engine.

The agency found the configuration didn’t comply with certification emission standards when CARB tested it, though the agreement notes the vehicles don’t fail in-use standards with fuel commercially available at gas stations. CARB tests use a different certification fuel. No recall is required.

“This case is a perfect example of why CARB’s compliance testing is so important in protecting the state’s air quality and public health,” agency Executive Officer Steven Cliff said in a statement. “CARB staff work every day to identify violations and hold companies accountable for meeting our strict emissions standards.”

The agency notes the automaker worked with it to resolve the allegations of violations of Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Devices regulations. The settlement includes a $2.8 million civil penalty for CARB’s Air Pollution Control Fund, which provides funding for projects and research to improve California’s air quality. The remaining $2.8 million will help to purchase electric school buses for schools in the South Coast Air Basin.

“While we accept responsibility, this does not reflect our strategy for the future,” Stellantis said in a statement. “We are nevertheless pleased to contribute to a zero-emissions school bus initiative as it aligns with our $35 billion investment in electrification and related software. A key outcome of our investment will be the U.S.-market introduction of 25 battery-electric vehicles by 2030.”

The settlement follows an agreement in January 2019 with FCA for allegations that the company violated environmental and consumer protection laws by using defeat device software to cheat on diesel emissions testing on more than 100,000 vehicles nationwide. California received more than $78 million of the $500 million settlement.

Stellantis forecasts that by 2030, half of its U.S. sales will be all-electric.