AUTONEWS

Mercedes-Benz “under scrutiny” by investigators because of the OM642 diesel engine

Government agencies around the world continue to probe automakers following the diesel scandal that broke out in 2015, which centered on Volkswagen.

According to a leaked letter from Germany’s federal road traffic authorities, Mercedes-Benz was “targeted” by the agency this summer, accused of using so-called override devices to circumvent the new Euro 6 regulations.

The memo (in German) dated July 7, 2023, details three software devices found on the OM642 diesel engine, found in the E350 BlueTec model. Two are responsible for changing the operation of the engine based on certain temperature parameters. The agency ordered the Stuttgart manufacturer to correct the items in question or the disputed cars will be banned and withdrawn from traffic.

Germany’s environmental consumer protection group, Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), published a “leaked” letter on Friday, which it received from an unnamed insider.

Mercedes, which is cooperating with the agency, told Reuters it believes it has already developed and deployed the appropriate software updates, which should correct the problems in question. Additional testing was ordered after the European Court of Justice ruled in July 2022 that software-based override devices are illegal. The agency gave the company until July 27 to make things right, but Reuters reported that it has been extended.

This is not the first time that Deutsche Umwelthilfe has put Mercedes under the microscope. In November 2021, this organization issued a public statement in which it accused the Stuttgart company of using eight override devices in the E class, and cars equipped with OM642 diesel engines that comply with Euro 6 standards. DUH considered the devices in question illegal. According to the report, they were reducing the amount of AdBlue fluid that is injected to neutralize harmful nitrogen oxides.

Mercedes is not the first car manufacturer to face the consequences of “Dieselgate”, eight years after the scandal broke. This summer, Rupert Stadler, the former head of Audi, was fined 1.1 million euros for his involvement in the scandal. He pleaded guilty to avoid prison time. The component maker, Bosch, paid $25 million in fines last year. Mercedes’ parent company, Daimler, had to pay $2.8 million to settle claims in the US. The Stuttgart-based manufacturer faced lawsuits from the US Environmental Protection Agency, the California Air Resources Board, the US Department of Justice, as well as a class action lawsuit. So far, more than half of the nearly three billion dollars has gone to various government agencies, while $700 million has gone to court settlements.

Source: Reuters