EU investigates Italian emissions

Dieselgate Mark II could be brewing over alleged illegal diesel emissions software at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and it could engulf the Italian government, too.

After a complaint from the German government over its test results, German newspaper Handelsblatt revealed yesterday that the European Union will launch a legal action against Italy and, specifically, its transport department.

The legal action will point the finger at the Italian transport department for not being vigilant enough in policing FCA emissions in the wake of the Dieselgate crisis that engulfed the Volkswagen Group.

The report insisted EU officials had become fed up with Europe’s national governments “colluding” with large car-makers over emissions as the EU itself tries to portray a stiffer regulatory presence.

The production of the Dieselgate emissions-cheating Volkswagens began on the German Transport’s watch, and it was the German Transport department (KBU) who discovered an alleged software switch, or Defeat Device, that lead to Fiat Chrysler products to emit more in the real world.

Armed with a newfound enthusiasm for independently testing cars for emissions, it was the KBU that reported both the Italian government and FCA to the EU’s investigatory body in the first place. It even asked the EC to mediate between itself and the Italian transport department, which failed as of February this year.

Under EU law, only national transport departments have the authority to approve new models, even if those models can then be sold to all 28 EU countries without further testing or approvals.

While Italy’s transport department did not return calls today, it has in the past batted the KBU’s allegations with humour and contempt, then it retested the FCA models in question in early February, insisting the cars were clean.

The European Commission, the EU’s legislative arm, late last year opened cases against five countries, including Germany, Spain and Great Britain, for giving their car industry’s too much freedom.

The latest legal assault goes one further, alleging the Italian government colluded with FCA to keep a 'defeat device' hidden from EU eyes.

At the heart of the argument against FCA is that some of their models shut off the core diesel-emissions controls on the Fiat Doblo and 500X and the Jeep Renegade after 22 minutes, when the official emissions test takes just seconds less than that.

Like other car-makers, FCA argued that it was allowed to utilise exemptions in the EU6 test cycle to protect engines or for safety.

These loopholes were broadly used and generously worded, leading to Ford, Renault, Opel and Mercedes-Benz all utilizing “thermal” switches that turned off the peak emissions-scrubbing equipment below and above set temperatures. For Daimler, it was below 10 degrees or above 26.