Cummins reports it will pay out $1.675 billion for installing emissions defeat devices on “hundreds of thousands” of engines in a violation of the Clean Air Act, according to a statement by the U.S. Dept. of Justice.
The penalty, agreed to in principle, would be the largest ever for this type of violation.
Defeat devices are parts or software that bypass, defeat, or render inoperative emissions controls such as emission sensors and onboard computers. The company allegedly installed defeat devices on 630,000 model year 2013 to 2019 RAM 2500 and 3500 pickup truck engines. The company also allegedly installed undisclosed auxiliary emission control devices on 330,000 model year 2019 to 2023 RAM 2500 and 3500 pickup truck engines.
“The types of devices we allege that Cummins installed in its engines to cheat federal environmental laws have a significant and harmful impact on people’s health and safety,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in the news release. “Our preliminary estimates suggest that defeat devices on some Cummins engines have caused them to produce thousands of tons of excess emissions of nitrogen oxides.”
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