FCA US said it had formally filed an application for diesel vehicle emissions certification with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for its 2017 model year Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 diesel vehicles. These vehicles have updated emissions software calibrations.
"The filing is the result of many months of close collaboration between FCA US and EPA and CARB, including extensive testing of the vehicles, to clarify issues related to the company's emissions control technology," FCA said in a statement.
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"With the permission of EPA and CARB, FCA US intends to install the same modified emissions software in 2014-2016 MY Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 diesel vehicles. FCA US believes this will address the agencies' concerns regarding the emissions software calibrations in those vehicles.
FCA US said it "also believes that these actions should help facilitate a prompt resolution to ongoing discussions with the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the US Department of Justice and other governmental agencies.
"FCA US expects that following EPA and CARB approval, owners of the 2014-2016 MY vehicles will be able to receive the software updates at their dealerships. FCA expects that the installation of these updated software calibrations will improve the 2014-2016 MY vehicles' emissions performance and does not anticipate any impact on performance or fuel efficiency."
The EPA declined to comment on the matter to the Reuters news agency. The state of California said in a statement it was "continuing its discussions with FCA to fully address and resolve the issues" it raised.
Reuters noted that the EPA and California last January accused FCA US of illegally using undisclosed software to allow excess diesel emissions in 104,000 US market 2014-2016 Grand Cherokees and Ram 1500 trucks in a notice of violation.
The notice was the result of a probe that arose out of regulators' investigation of Volkswagen AG's excess emissions.
Reuters reported last Wednesday the Justice Department was preparing to file a civil lawsuit against the automaker for selling 104,000 vehicles that emit excess diesel emissions if it did not reach an agreement with the company.
The vehicles' engines were manufactured by VM Motori SpA, a subsidiary of FCA, and some component parts for the engines were supplied by Robert Bosch, Reuters added
The Justice Department and the EPA have obtained internal emails and other documents written in Italian that look at engine development and emissions issues that raise significant questions, the news agency reported on Thursday.
A federal judge in California has set a May 24 hearing on a series of lawsuits filed by owners of vehicles and some dealers against Fiat Chrysler and the Justice Department had been expected to file its action by then if no agreement was reached.
