From Volkswagen, to Opel and now Chevrolet. The diesel scandal has hit the American automaker on its own turf.
The Detroit News reports General Motors has been hit with a class-action lawsuit over diesel emissions in its Chevrolet Cruze diesel models. The lawsuit states GM and Chevrolet marketed the Cruze diesel as a “clean vehicle”, and alleges the use of defeat devices in software.
The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, states plaintiffs found excessive pollution in the Cruze diesel, which occasionally did not meet U.S. emissions standards after using a portable measurement system.
The lawsuit also points to GM’s Opel, and its allegations of using software to allow higher pollution at certain speeds and temperatures.
General Motors released a statement on the matter stating, “These claims are baseless and we will vigorously defend ourselves. GM believes the Chevrolet Cruze turbo diesel complies with all U.S. EPA and CARB emissions regulations.”
Comments
Is there even any proof?
Start a car in -20*C and it’s going to run rich and pump CO until warmed up. Testing at varying temps shouldn’t be considered, standard engine operating temperature should be used when testing. And there will be variance in emissions at different speeds, an engine under load is going to pollute a higher concentration over a given time.
Comes down to EPA limits and the regulations that govern those limits.
Here is the deal.
The EPA has set standards for automakers to meet and at specific points of performance. I suspect GM has met the government regulations and at the points they are to meet these emissions standards.
Even on gas cars they have set standards but at Wide open Throttle there is no regulation. That would be nearly impossible to meet under those conditions. This is how some of the aftermarket chip and programmer companies often extract more power and not setting off the check engine light.
This is just another deal where Lawyers are wedging in and trying to represent a group of people that have no issue witht he vehicle and try to earn a settlement for the law firm. They do not expect GM to fight but settle and then take their fees that generally take most of the settlement and leave the owner with a token $200 of a new car in the next 3 years or something of this nature.
It is just legal cooperate blackmail by the lawyers. If GM has very good lawyers they will fight it and go on. If the case looks to drag on they will pay the blackmail as it is often cheaper than fighting.
This is another example of the need for Tort reform.
Should the EPA or NHTSA find GM violated emissions regulations first before the lawsuit is even allowed to proceed? The judge should throw it out until this happens.
In the Detroit News article there was this statement:
GM and Opel said the allegations made by the group were based on “misleading oversimplifications and misinterpretations of the complicated interrelationships of a modern emissions control system of a diesel engine.”
Also GMA, if you’re going to be self referential in your links, may I suggest some of your more informative ones…
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2016/05/opel-likely-to-be-cleared-of-any-emissions-cheating/
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2016/05/opel-adresses-concerns-over-proposed-emissions-cheats/
That sums up the lawsuit in a nutshell.
If the dissatisfied customers really want a clean diesel under all driving conditions, they had better be ready for the compromises of lower power and reduced engine life. The emission algorithms adjust numerous parameters to provide adequate power and to protect the engine from excessively lean a/f ratios.
I own a 2014 Diesel Cruze, and have been reasonably happy with it. I am sceptical about the claim that it violates the emissions regulations, simply because if it did, I think it would have rather better city fuel economy than it does. The VW Jetta diesel does better in that department than the diesel Cruze. It uses a diesel exhaust fluid system, unlike the old Jettas. Also, it is very much a niche vehicle; I don’t see any big win for GM if it had cheated the regulations.
It is a comfortable, well-equipped vehicle with amazing highway range (1000 km per tank!).
You can release my comment from moderation (posted June 23rd @ 9:53am) anytime now. Thanks!
Its a fake news report. There’s no lawsuit
All these people are full BS. These car has been equipped with the state of the art pollution control system such as SRC, DPF, cooled EGR, etc. VW didn’t have the urea injection at all; therefore, there Nox emissions were high (40 times the standard limits). Unfortunately, there are lots of opportunist in our country that just the need one excuse to try take advantage of the situation. This car is awesome, and if you pump the ready available Propel HPR renewable Diesel (http://dieselhpr.com/learn-more), the emission are extremely low. As low as the best gasoline engine.
Additionally, it is sad all the ignorance around Diesel engine in our country. Shame on all the opportunist ignorant out there.