Mercedes-Benz to pay $149.6m in US diesel emissions settlement

Mercedes-Benz has agreed a $149.67m colony with a conjugation of US states, drafting a enactment nether a protracted probe into alleged manipulation of diesel emissions tests.

The multistate probe examined claims that the German carmaker installed bundle successful hundreds of thousands of diesel vehicles that altered emissions show during regulatory testing.

Mercedes’ bundle allegedly allowed importantly higher contamination during mean driving.

The probe was led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and 8 different authorities attorneys general.

James said: “Today’s colony holds Mercedes accountable, delivers millions of dollars to support New York’s environment, and ensures that this institution ne'er again deceives the nationalist astir its emissions.”

The probe was launched successful 2020, pursuing the decision of a related national inquiry.

Serving connected a nine-state enforcement committee, the progressive offices examined successful excess of 350,000 documents and conducted interviews with a ample fig of witnesses.

Investigators recovered that Mercedes marketed the affected diesel models arsenic environmentally friendly, utilizing descriptions specified arsenic “clean”, “green” and “ultra-low emissions”, and claiming to connection “the world’s cleanest diesel automobiles”.

The institution promoted the vehicles’ expected quality to person pollutants into “pure, earth-friendly Nitrogen and water”.

The conjugation states said the vehicles alternatively released acold much contamination than permitted and did not execute arsenic represented oregon certified.

Mercedes sold much than 200,000 diesel cars successful the US that contained the implicated bundle from 2008 to 2017, with much than 19,000 of those vehicles registered successful New York alone.

Under the colony terms, the carmaker is required to wage $120m upfront to the conjugation of states, of which $13.53m is earmarked for New York.

A further $29.67m successful fines has been acceptable speech conditionally and volition beryllium chopped by $750 for each affected conveyance that Mercedes either brings into compliance with an authorised emissions repair, withdraws from sale, oregon repurchases.

The colony besides obliges Mercedes to wage $2,000 to qualifying owners and lessees whose vehicles acquisition an Approved Emissions Modification.

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said: “This multi-state colony not lone ensures accountability for atrocious actors utilizing amerciable emissions-cheating devices, it besides importantly delivers much than $13.5m to New York to trim harmful emissions and assistance eligible consumers wage for costly conveyance repairs.”