A major chapter of the Dieselgate affair is reaching its conclusion. Mercedes-Benz has reached an agreement with a bipartisan coalition of U.S. state attorneys general. The German automaker will pay $149.7 million USD to settle allegations concerning the installation of defeat devices in more than 211,000 diesel vehicles sold in North America.
Software designed to deceive tests
According to the New York Attorney General’s Office, Mercedes equipped "hundreds of thousands of diesel vehicles with undisclosed software intended to cheat emission tests, mislead consumers and illegally pollute communities across the country."
Under normal driving conditions, those vehicles emitted nitrogen oxide (NOx) at levels 30 to 40 times higher than legal limits. They nevertheless managed to pass tests thanks to software strategies active only during official trials.
Affected models
The list of targeted vehicles is extensive and notably includes:
- - Mercedes-Benz E350 (2011–2016)
- - Diesel versions of the GL, GLE, GLK, ML, R and S Classes
- - Diesel Sprinter vans
Those models allegedly used undisclosed auxiliary emission control devices (AECDs) acting as cheat systems to distort test cycles while returning to standard management modes in real-world conditions.
Details of the agreement
Of the approximately $150 million (about 127 million euros), $120 million will be allocated to pollution mitigation programs in the affected states, while $29.7 million represents a temporarily suspended penalty. Mercedes will receive a $750 credit for each vehicle repaired, bought back or removed from the market.
New obligations for Mercedes-Benz
In addition to the fine, the agreement imposes several obligations on Mercedes-Benz: a ban on selling or leasing diesel vehicles equipped with illegal devices, a ban on making misleading statements about emissions and the obligation to provide regular reports on the progress of repairs. The manufacturer must henceforth demonstrate total transparency regarding the real-world emissions of its diesel engines.
This agreement is in addition to a previous settlement with the US federal government, in which Mercedes-Benz agreed to pay approximately $2.2 billion USD to settle other claims related to diesel emissions.