Italy snubs Germans on Fiat
Italy has rejected Germany’s request to look closer at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s vehicles to ensure they meet European emission rules, as the months-long feud between the countries over the issue escalated.
Italian Deputy Transport Minister Riccardo Nencini said the ‘‘insistence of the German government after the responses given by the Italian ministry is incomprehensible.’’ Italy’s government is collaborating with the European Commission, Nencini said in a statement after the EU’s executive arm said German authorities have expressed serious concerns on emissions of the Fiat 500x.
‘‘We have repeatedly asked Italian authorities to come forward with convincing answers as soon as possible,’’ the EU Commission said in an e-mailed statement.
Fiat-Chrysler is under investigation by the US Justice Department over its alleged failure to disclose software that violated emissions standards, according to people familiar with the matter, another legal hurdle for a company already under criminal scrutiny for its sales practices. The possibility of a criminal action over diesel emissions violations comes after the Environmental Protection Agency said it found software in 104,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Ram 1500s that allowed the automaker to exceed pollution limits on the road.
Nencini said neither of the two US models are sold in Italy.
The Fiat Chrysler scrutiny follows revelations of cheating and conspiracy that has cost Volkswagen AG more than US$20 billion ($28 billion). Fiat Chrysler’s Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne said the matter ‘‘has nothing to do’’ with VW. He said the software wasn’t intended to bypass emissions tests or operate differently in evaluation than in real-world use, calling such allegations ‘‘absolute nonsense’’.
Germany’s KBA motor vehicle authority has carried out investigations on several Fiat vehicles, German Transport Ministry spokeswoman Svenja Friedrich told reporters. ‘‘The result was that a considerable reduction of the exhaust gas cleaning function occurs after a certain time.’’