Daimler AG To Pay USD 1.5B To Settle Emissions Cheating Probes

Washington, Sep 14 (AP) Automaker Daimler AG and subsidiary Mercedes-Benz USA have agreed to pay USD 1.5 billion to the US government and California state regulators to resolve emissions cheating allegations, officials said Monday. The US Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency and the California attorney general’s office say Daimler violated environmental laws by using so-called defeat device software to circumvent emissions testing and sold about 250,000 cars and vans in the U.S. with diesel engines that didn’t comply with state and federal laws.

The settlement, which includes civil penalties, will also require Daimler to fix the vehicles, officials said. The Stuttgart, Germany-based automaker said on Aug. 13 that it had agreements with the Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Customs and Border Protection, the California Air Resources Board and others over civil and environmental claims involving about 250,000 diesel cars and vans.