GM fined nearly $146 million for excess emissions from 5.9 million vehicles

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Thu Jul 4, 2024, 11:52 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: CBS News

Updated on: July 3, 2024 / 4:32 PM EDT


General Motors will pay a penalty of almost $146 million and forfeit emissions credits to settle allegations that nearly 6 million of its vehicles released more pollution than the automaker reported, federal officials said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Environmental Protection Agency found certain 2012-2018 model year GM vehicles were emitting more than 10% higher carbon dioxide on average than first claimed in the company's compliance reports, the EPA stated. The impacted vehicles include about 4.6 million full-size pickup and sport-utility vehicles and roughly 1.3 million mid-size SUVs, such as Chevrolet Equinox, Tahoe and Silverado models.

"EPA's vehicle standards depend on strong oversight in order to deliver public health benefits in the real world," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in the statement. "Our investigation has achieved accountability and upholds an important program that's reducing air pollution and protecting communities across the country."

GM denied any wrongdoing and said it had complied with all pollution and mileage certification rules. "GM remains committed to reducing auto emissions and working toward achieving the administration's fleet electrification goals," the company said in a statement.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gm-carbon-emissions-epa-climate-change/

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Link to EPA NEWS RELEASE - General Motors Agrees to Retire 50 million Metric Tons of Greenhouse Gas Credits to Resolve Excess Emissions from 5.9 million Vehicles

[JoseBalow]

1. GM makes $146M in about 7 and a half hours

General Motors annual revenue for 2023 was $171.842B

$171.842B per year =
$14.32B per month =
$3.31B per week =
$472,093,406 per day =
$19,670,558 per hour =
$327,842 per minute =
$5,464 per second

So GM makes $146M in 7.42 hours, or 445 minutes

That'll teach 'em!

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Or look on it as $25 per vehicle

It's just a small part of the marketing budget.

[Igel]

3. I wonder when the EPA conducted its tests.

When the vehicles were years old or fresh off the lot.

Or if it's a driving style issue. (I know I get 15-20% higher mileage on my vehicle than GM claims is good for mixed city-highway. Same was true on my former car, now my wife's. She'd drive it for a month and it was close to GM's predictions, I'd drive it for a month and 15-20% above.)

[BumRushDaShow]

4. I just added the EPA news release to the OP

In there it mentions this -

EPA light-duty vehicle standards are designed to ensure that vehicles on the road conform to the emissions performance asserted by manufacturers during EPA’s certification process. Automakers are required to test vehicles that have been on the road for one year and again at four years and submit those test results to EPA. EPA also conducts its own tests to ensure vehicles on the road are complying with emissions standards. Tests done by both EPA and GM showed the GM vehicles were emitting more than 10 percent higher CO2 on average than GM’s initial GHG compliance reports claimed.

I know here in PA, we have to have annual "emissions" test on our vehicles and I am guessing some of that data gets forwarded from the state to the feds for data collection purposes.