GM latest to be accused of emissions test scam
General Motors Co. has been accused of putting defeat devices in its trucks to beat emissions tests, becoming the sixth carmaker accused of diesel cheating since 2015, when Volkswagen AG admitted to installing software to bypass pollution rules.
People who own or lease more than 705,000 GM Duramax diesel trucks filed a class-action lawsuit Thursday, claiming GM installed multiple such devices in two models of heavy-duty trucks from 2011 to 2016. The 190-page complaint is littered with more than 80 references to VW, and asserts that the environmental damage caused by each truck could surpass that of the German automaker’s vehicles.
GM’s cheating allowed its trucks to pass U.S. inspections, even while they spewed emissions two to five times the legal limit under regular driving conditions, according to the complaint filed in Detroit federal court.
“These claims are baseless and we will vigorously defend ourselves,” GM said in a statement on its website. The Detroit-based company said its diesel Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups comply with all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board emissions regulations.
GM erased gains in early trading and fell as much as 3.9 per cent after the lawsuit was filed. The shares ended the day down 1.8 per cent to US$32.60 in New York.
The complaint raises fresh questions about the credibility of diesel technology. Since allegations surfaced against Volkswagen, the German automaker has committed to spending more than US$24.5 billion paying fines and penalties including buybacks across North America. Many of its biggest peers have since faced lawsuits and greater regulatory scrutiny.
In the case of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, drivers filed a class action alleging VW-like cheating on diesel emissions tests. Shortly thereafter, U.S. prosecutors and regulators were investigating as well, leading to a U.S. Justice Department suit this week.
Daimler AG is the target of a German probe related to diesel emissions, and French carmakers Renault SA and PSA Group are both being investigated in their home country.
“GM claimed its engineers had accomplished a remarkable reduction of diesel emissions,” attorney Steve Berman, a managing partner at Hagens Berman, said in the complaint. Berman has also represented drivers and dealerships against VW and in Fiat Chrysler’s litigation. “These GM trucks likely dumped as much excess poisonous emissions into our air as did the cheating Volkswagen passenger cars.”
Diesel engines, while more fuel efficient, produce greater volumes of nitrogen oxide pollutants, or NOx. During on-road testing the diesel trucks polluted at levels beyond legal limits and higher than their gasoline counterparts, according to the complaint.
To meet environmental standards, the Chevrolet Silverado Duramax and GMC Sierra Duramax diesel trucks will probably require modifications that would reduce power, torque and fuel efficiency, according to the complaint.
Representatives of the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
These GM trucks likely dumped as much excess poisonous emissions into our air as did the cheating Volkswagen passenger cars.