DETROIT — A federal judge on Monday sentenced the U.S. division of Stellantis NV to pay $300 million in penalties and forfeitures for cheating on government emissions testing on "clean EcoDiesel" for Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs and Ram 1500 pickup trucks.
FCA U.S. LLC pleaded guilty to the criminal conspiracy charge in June. It was the second guilty plea for federal criminal conduct by the company in as many years for actions taken prior to parent Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's merger with French automaker Groupe PSA that created Stellantis last year.
As federal emissions standards have become more stringent, automakers face the pressure of reducing emissions of internal combustion engine vehicles that today is fueling the transition to zero-emission vehicles or else pay millions of dollars in fines or for credits from competitors like electric-vehicle maker Tesla Inc. Stellantis in the first half of 2022 paid $678 million in penalties following an adjustment to Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations earlier this year.
