Engine Maker Cummins to Repair 600,000 Ram Trucks in $2B Emissions Cheating Scandal.

Engine maker Cummins Inc. has agreed to recall 600,000 Ram trucks as part of a settlement with federal and California authorities. The settlement also requires Cummins to address environmental damage caused by illegal software that allowed the company to bypass diesel emissions tests. The settlement includes a $1.675 billion civil penalty, the largest ever secured under the Clean Air Act, as well as $325 million for pollution remedies. The recall affects Ram trucks manufactured by Stellantis between 2013 and 2019, and the software in question limited nitrogen oxide pollution during emissions tests but allowed higher pollution during normal operations. Cummins denies the allegations and is not admitting liability. The company states that the engines that were cited but are not being recalled did not exceed emissions limits. The settlement aims to address the smog-forming pollution resulting from Cummins' actions. The Clean Air Act, enacted in 1963, requires car and engine manufacturers to comply with emission limits to protect the environment and human health. The transportation sector is responsible for about one-third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and the limits aim to reduce emissions from burning gasoline and diesel fuel. The Cummins settlement follows other notable emissions cheating cases in the auto industry, such as Volkswagen's Dieselgate scandal in 2014 and Fiat Chrysler's failure to disclose defeat devices in 2019. The settlement with Cummins is seen as an important deterrent to evasion of emission standards and a step towards addressing justice and equity issues related to air pollution [Extracted from the article]