Cummins Inc. officials announce that the company received certification for its lineup of on-highway diesel and natural gas engines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The engines meet current EPA regulations and the second step in greenhouse gas (GHG) and fuel efficiency standards effective January 2017.
Throughout 2014 and 2015, Cummins implemented efficiency enhancements ensuring on-board diagnostics requirements are met with monitors keeping exhaust tailpipe emissions within the EPA limits. In addition, a particulate matter (PM) sensor has been implemented and electronic controls have been improved to interact with the diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) quality sensor put in place by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) on DEF tanks. Fuel efficiency is improved across the commercial vehicle engine lineup from 5L to 15L. www.cummins.com
US DOT proposes high-tech changes to 5-star safety ratings
The U.S. Department of Transportation has proposed adjustments to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 5-Star Safety Ratings for new vehicles.
Planned changes include:
- New 5-Star Safety Ratings system to encompass crash-avoidance pedestrian protection
- Frontal oblique crash test measuring how well vehicles protect occupants in an angled frontal crash
- Improved full frontal barrier crash test facilitating safety improvements for occupants
- Improved crash test dummies for data on the effects of a crash on passengers
- Use of half-star increments, providing consumers more discriminating
- information about vehicle safety performance www.nhtsa.gov
US Department of Justice files complaint against Volkswagen; California rejects diesel engine fixes
On behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Justice has sued Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, Volkswagen Group of America Inc., Volkswagen Group of America Chattanooga Operations LLC, Porsche AG, and Porsche Cars North America Inc. The civil complaint, filed in federal court in Detroit, Michigan, alleges that nearly 600,000 diesel engine vehicles from the Volkswagen Group have illegal defeat software installed in order to impair their emission control systems and cause emissions to exceed EPA’s standards. The complaint also alleges that Volkswagen violated the Clean Air Act.
The complaint is consistent with EPA’s Notices of Violation, issued late last year, alleging that defeat devices caused emissions to exceed EPA’s standards when vehicles operated during normal driving conditions.
The filing of the civil complaint under Sections 204 and 205 of the Clean Air Act seeks injunctive relief and the assessment of civil penalties, and does not preclude the government from seeking other legal remedies.
Separately, California’s Air Resources Board (CARB), an influential body that effectively sets pollution limits in more than 10 U.S. states, rejected Volkswagen’s first remedy to make diesel engines compliant.
“Volkswagen made a decision to cheat on emissions tests and then tried to cover it up,” says CARB Chair Mary D. Nichols. “They continued and compounded the lie and when they were caught they tried to deny it. The result is thousands of tons of nitrogen oxide that have harmed the health of Californians. They need to make it right.”
Regulators rejected the planned software upgrades to 2L diesel engines because:
- Plans contain gaps, lack sufficient detail
- Descriptions of proposed repairs lack enough information for a technical evaluation
- Proposals do not adequately address overall impacts on vehicle performance, emissions, and safety
Volkswagen officials say the company continues to meet with state and federal regulators and hopes to have an acceptable solution to the emissions problems soon. California’s rejection only applies to VW’s diesel 2L vehicles. Issues with 3L diesels are being handled as a separate legal matter. www.volkswagen.com; www.arb.ca.gov; www.justice.gov