The Truth About Car Emissions: Are American Automakers Hiding the Real Polluters?

General Motors agrees to pay a fine of over $145 million. Photo: Car and Driver .

According to Carscoops, General Motors will pay a fine of over $145.8 million for selling approximately 5.9 million vehicles that did not comply with emissions regulations in the US.

Specifically, between 2012 and 2018, General Motors sold approximately 4.6 million pickup trucks and large SUVs, in addition to 1.3 million mid-size SUVs. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accused these vehicles of emitting about 10% more CO2 than what General Motors declared.

In addition to the fine of over $145.8 million, General Motors also voluntarily canceled about 50 million tons of carbon credits that the automaker had purchased ten years ago for about $100 million. The New York Times reported that, taking into account the depreciation factor, the carbon credits that General Motors had purchased are now worth about $4.6 billion.

Nevertheless, General Motors did not admit any wrongdoing related to this incident, stating that all of its vehicles comply with certification regulations for pollution and distance traveled. Bill Grotz, spokesperson for General Motors, attributed the issue to changes in EPA testing procedures in 2016.

“We believe this is the best option to quickly resolve the remaining issues with the federal government related to this matter,” said Bill Grotz, reaffirming General Motors’ commitment to reducing vehicle emissions and continuing its efforts to electrify its product range.

The Chevrolet Silverado is one of the models accused of emitting more than advertised. Photo: Car and Driver.

According to Carscoops, the vehicles involved in the allegations were equipped with 2.4L, 5.3L, 6.2L, and 4.3L engines, including popular models such as the Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Cadillac Escalade, and GMC Yukon.

This is not the first time that General Motors has agreed to pay a significant fine. Last year, the automaker paid $128.2 million in penalties for failing to meet fuel economy requirements in 2016 and 2017.

Meanwhile, Michael S. Regan, administrator of the EPA, affirmed that the EPA’s vehicle standards rely on rigorous oversight to benefit community health.