ABC #396

NEWS
CNH INDUSTRIAL AND
FIAT-CHRYSLER FACE
DIESEL-EMISSIONS PROBE
The diesel emissions scandal that
plagued Volkswagen (VW) for much
of the last decade looks like causing
a world of pain for Iveco parent
CNH Industrial (CNHI), along with
Fiat-Chrysler Automobile (FCA),
according to European and local
media reports.
Alleged use of ‘defeat devices’ on
Iveco, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Jeep
engines is the focus of raids in three
European countries.
Reports from Germany put Fiat
and Iveco commercial vehicle
engines in the same ‘Dieselgate’
spotlight.
“CNH Industrial confirms that
a number of the Group’s offices
in Europe have been visited
by investigators in the context
of a request for assistance by
magistrates in Germany,” the
global firm said in a statement.
“The company immediately
made itself available to the officials,
providing its full cooperation.
“CNH Industrial is examining the
relevant documentation in order to
properly address any requests that
the magistrates may have.”
Five years ago, when VW was the
focus of legal action over its diesel
defeat program, the Australian
Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC) led the
domestic regulatory reaction.
“This enforcement investigation
is a priority for the ACCC,” chairman
Rod Sims said at the time.
“We are very concerned about
the potential consumer and
competition detriment from this
alleged conduct.
“Using defeat devices is
specifically prohibited under the
Australian Design Rules, which are
picked up as Australian Consumer
Law (ACL) mandatory safety
standards.”
RAIDING FOR EVIDENCE
An ACCC spokesperson told
ABC’s sister magazine ATN that it
“cannot comment on any potential
investigations”.
Without naming the two vehicle
giants controlled ultimately by
the Agnelli family, the European
Pictured:
The raids seek to
gather evidence
on ‘defeat
devices’ used
to cheat diesel
emissions testing,
the marketing
of vehicles
and individual
responsibility
to the alleged
actions.
Union Agency for Criminal Justice
Cooperation (Eurojust) says
investigators from Germany, Italy
and Switzerland are searching
three commercial properties,
“...of a company located in
Baden-Württemberg and Hesse
in Germany, as well as in three
locations in Italy’s Piedmont region
and one location in the Swiss
canton of Thurgau”.
The raids seek to gather evidence
on ‘defeat devices’ used to cheat
diesel emissions testing, the
marketing of vehicles and individual
responsibility to the alleged actions.
In addition, “UK authorities have
ordered two companies in London
to produce relevant documents”.
“Judicial authorities in Germany
are conducting an in-depth fraud
investigation on the use of more
than 200,000 diesel ‘defeat devices’
in cars produced by an international
automotive group and international
commercial vehicle manufacturer,
as well as their subsidiaries,”
Eurojust states.
“The investigation is focused
on the suspicion that diesel
engines installed in several car
models sold by the company
would be equipped with an
illegal defeat device.”
The organisation explains that
whereas the vehicles meet the
emissions standards under test
conditions, the defeat device
allegedly effectively shuts down
the emissions control system in
real drive conditions.
“Such defeat devices are illegal
according to the European Union
regulations in place,” it says.
“Vehicles with defeat devices
are not approved for road usage in
the EU and consumers with such
devices installed in their cars face
possible driving bans. In Germany,
more than 200,000 vehicles
are subject to the investigation,
including larger vehicles, such as
camper vans.
“The Prosecutor Office of Turin,
Italy, is also investigating the crime
of fraud in the framework of a
parallel proceeding linked to the
same case.”
ABC magazine has contacted
Iveco Australia for comment as to
whether bus engines are included.
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ABC August 2020 busnews.com.au