Report: FCA Supplier Emails Betray Strategy To Cheat Emissions Tests

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV FCAU traded down 2.2 percent Friday following the release of correspondence suggesting intentional cheating in diesel emission tests on Jeep and Ram models, according to Bloomberg. 

Supplier emails disclosed in court this week discussed the illegal use of test-routing software in diesel engines in 2010. FCA allegedly tried to convince VM Motori to develop software capable of detecting emissions tests and activating controls to pass them, the report said. 

The automaker denied the allegations.

“We continue to cooperate with various governmental investigations related to diesel emissions, and emails such as those referenced have been previously provided to the agencies,” FCA told Bloomberg. “It is inappropriate to draw conclusions from isolated communications and internal deliberations, without the more detailed context that is part of the reviews FCA is conducting as part of the investigation process.”

The emails were examined as part of a class action lawsuit against FCA alleging the company misled Jeep and Ram buyers about the performance standards of its EcoDiesel engine. FCA was first accused of cheating emissions tests in January 2017.

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