Engine manufacturer Cummins is set to recall approximately 600,000 Ram trucks as part of a settlement with federal and California authorities.
Under the settlement, the company must address environmental damage resulting from illegal software that allowed the evasion of diesel emissions tests. The details of the agreement, finalized in December 2023, were disclosed on January 10, 2024. Cummins has previously committed to a US$1.675bn civil penalty, the largest ever under the Clean Air Act, along with an additional US$325m for pollution remedies. The Clean Air Act, enacted in 1963, mandates that car and engine manufacturers comply with emission limits to protect the environment and human health.
The company’s total penalty now exceeds US$2bn, making it a landmark settlement, as described by officials from the US Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency, California Air Resources Board and the California Attorney General during a media briefing on 10 January.
The recall affects hundreds of thousands of Ram heavy-duty pickup trucks (2500 and 3500) manufactured by Stellantis from 2013 to 2019. The trucks were equipped with software that limited nitrogen oxide pollution during emissions tests but allowed higher pollution levels during regular operations. An additional 330,000 trucks from 2019 through 2023 were found to have emissions control software that was not reported correctly to authorities.
Cummins said in a statement that actions from the January 10 meeting do not involve any further financial commitments than those announced in December 2023.
“We are looking forward to obtaining certainty as we conclude this lengthy matter and continue to deliver on our mission of powering a more prosperous world,” the statement said.
Cummins also stated that the engines that were cited but which are not being recalled did not exceed emissions limits. Punishment for the unreported software is included in the penalty, the company said.
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