Cummins Slapped With Largest Clean Air Act Fine Ever

The EPA is coming down hard on Cummins with the largest Clean Air Act fine ever levied at $1.675 billion. That is more than the previous record of Volkswagen's $1.45 billion fine in 2017 for its 2015 emissions scandal.

All this comes after it came to light that some 630,000 RAM 2500 and 3500 pickups from 2013 to 2019 were sold with defeat devices to cheat on EPA emissions testing. Another 330,000 2500 and 3500 pickup models from 2019-2023 were outfitted with auxiliary emissions control devices to cheat on emissions standards, leading to a total of 960,000 vehicles affected.

RAM has also "...initiated a recall of model years 2013 through 2018 RAM 2500 and 3500 trucks and previously accrued a total of $59 million for the estimated costs for executing these and other related recalls," according to a news release from the company.

What would an engine manufacturer gain from cheating on emissions tests?

Sales, of course!

Historically, Diesel trucks have had a difficult time passing emissions tests and, in several states, aren't even required to be tested. This is because diesel engines produce more nitrous oxide-type emissions than their gasoline counterparts. Diesel engines are also more powerful and, hence, more useful in heavy-duty pickups.

The problem with installing emission control devices is that they rob the engine of power and performance. They also add a major upfront manufacturing cost, passed on to the consumer. They also have expensive maintenance costs.

That is why a company might want to skimp on meeting emissions requirements. The less it costs them to meet emissions standards, the more money they make. The more power their engines make, the more trucks they sell.

Manufacturers aren't the only ones breaking the law. In a 2020 EPA investigation, half a million vehicle owners were caught illegally disabling the emissions control systems in their pickups. Since the Volkswagen scandal, the EPA has worked harder to crack down on emissions cheaters.

Nitrous Oxide (NOx) emissions are the main concern with emissions testing. It's an ozone-depleting pollutant that, with long-term exposure, can lead to breathing issues and exacerbate existing respiratory problems.

Here's what Attorney General Merrick B. Garland had to say on the issue: "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. For example, in this case, 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."

At this time, Cummins admits no wrongdoing.