After Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche, could Mercedes-Benz also be found guilty of selling dirtier engines than advertised? Let’s not jump to conclusions too fast, shall we?
What happens is Daimler has just been asked by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide more information about its diesel emissions. This is not an official investigation, at least not yet.
At the core of the issue are numerous Mercedes vehicles equipped with BlueTEC diesel engines. According to a class-action lawsuit filed in New Jersey earlier this year, the nitrogen oxide reduction systems in these cars apparently shut off when the ambient temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). As a result, the engine can produce up to 65 times more NOx emissions than federal limits allow in the U.S.
Autoblog reports that the German automaker has denied using any sort of defeat device like its domestic rivals and said the class-action lawsuit is without merit. We’ll keep you posted.