Automotive News: G.M. Accused in Lawsuit of Deceit on Diesel Truck Emissions, Bosch tied to diesel-cheating claims, Air pollution is significantly weakening our hearts, major new study finds
G.M. Accused in Lawsuit of Deceit on Diesel Truck Emissions
A Seattle law firm that specializes in suing automakers has filed a class-action lawsuit against General Motors, accusing the company of programming some of its heavy-duty pickup trucks to cheat on diesel emissions tests.
News of the lawsuit was enough to send the company’s shares down almost 2 percent on Thursday. It is the latest sign of the intense scrutiny of the methods that automakers have devised to meet stringent diesel-emissions regulations, an issue that has led to major legal cases against Volkswagen and Fiat Chrysler. read more »
Bosch tied to diesel-cheating claims against fourth carmaker
Plaintiffs' lawyer: 'We believe Bosch was the enabler'
Robert Bosch GmbH, the world’s largest auto-parts supplier, was linked to emissions-cheating allegations against a fourth automaker on Thursday, raising questions about the German company’s role in the scandal gripping the car industry.
Bosch and General Motors are co-defendants in a lawsuit filed Thursday by owners of diesel-powered pickups who accused the automaker of using illegal software, known as a defeat device, to pass U.S. emissions tests. Bosch “participated not just in the development of the defeat device, but in the scheme to prevent U.S. regulators from uncovering the device’s true functionality,” according to the lawsuit filed in Detroit federal court.
“We believe Bosch was the enabler,” said attorney Steve Berman, a managing partner at Hagens Berman who’s represented vehicle owners in lawsuits against all four carmakers and Bosch over diesel cheating. “They provided the software in a format where manufacturers and Bosch could work together to calibrate their engines to cheat emissions tests.” read more »
Air pollution is significantly weakening our hearts, major new study finds
The hearts of people who live in polluted areas are weaker than those who regularly breathe cleaner air, according to a new study which adds to the growing volume of evidence that fossil fuels are killing us.
The researchers said they found evidence of harmful effects even when levels of pollution associated with diesel vehicles were less than half the safety limit set by the European Union.
This showed the current permissible levels of air pollution were “not safe and should be lowered”, a cardiologist involved in the study said. When walking on the pavement, people should stay as far away from the kerb as possible to reduce expose to exhaust fumes. read more »
Extremely polluting Nissan and Renault diesel cars still on sale, data reveals
Cars that emit up to 18 times the official NOx limit in real-world conditions are still being sold, 20 months after the emissions scandal broke and amid an ongoing air pollution crisis
Diesel cars that emit up to 18 times the official limit for toxic pollution when taken on to the road are still being sold, 20 months after the emissions scandal erupted and amid an ongoing air pollution crisis. read more »
