General Motors (GM) has been ordered by U.S. regulators to pay a penalty of $145.8 million following a multi-year investigation revealing that certain model year vehicles emitted approximately 10 percent more carbon dioxide than initially reported.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) disclosed on Wednesday that GM agreed to surrender 50 million metric tons of carbon allowances previously claimed, as part of the investigation into emissions discrepancies from 2012 to 2018 vehicles.
In a parallel announcement, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) imposed the financial penalty on GM for inaccuracies in reporting fuel economy compliance data. The regulator also revoked 30.6 million GM fuel economy credits from 2008 to 2010 model year vehicles to address compliance issues identified by the EPA.
“[GM] has at all times complied with and adhered to all applicable laws and regulations in the certification and in-use testing of the vehicles in-question,” GM stated to Automotive News in response. “This is the best course of action to swiftly resolve outstanding issues with the federal government regarding this matter.”
The EPA confirmed it does not intend to initiate recalls for the affected GM vehicles, which include approximately 4.6 million full-size pickup trucks and SUVs, along with 1.3 million mid-size SUVs spanning the 2012 to 2018 model years.
“EPA’s vehicle standards depend on strong oversight in order to deliver public health benefits in the real world,” said Michael Regan, EPA Administrator. “Our investigation has achieved accountability and upholds an important program that’s reducing air pollution and protecting communities across the country.”
The penalty comes amidst GM’s recent success in electric vehicle (EV) sales, marking record figures in the second quarter of the year. GM continues to expand its EV program with significant investments, including plans to increase spending on EV battery cell manufacturing to $11.5 billion in 2024, up from $10.5 billion.