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Chrysler pulls a VW, cheats emissions tests
The Environmental Protection Agency has just notified Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) that the carmaker has violated the Clean Air Act, alleging that it installed software in some of its diesel vehicles that increased emissions beyond what the company claimed. Specifically, the EPA says that "light-duty model year 2014, 2015 and 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Ram 1500 trucks with 3.0 liter diesel engines sold in the United States" are releasing excess nitrogen oxide emissions.
Nathan Ingraham01.12.2017
Regulators approve VW plan to fix 70,000 more diesel vehicles
Before it can reinvent itself as an EV automaker, Volkswagen still has to clean up the remnants of the ongoing Dieselgate scandal that has cost the company billions in buyback programs, repairs and class action settlements. With so many different models affected, VW has also had a difficult time getting regulators to approve it fixes. However, the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board announced Friday that they have approved the company's plans to repair about 70,000 Generation 3 2-liter engine vehicles.
Andrew Dalton01.07.2017
VW to pour $200 million more into an anti-pollution fund
Believe it or not, Volkswagen still isn't done paying for its diesel emissions scandal. Reuters understands that the car maker has agreed to pay over $200 million extra into a US Environmental Protection Agency fund devoted to reducing pollution created by VW's diesel emissions cheating. The company had already agreed to spend $2.7 billion over three years, but the extra money will cover the 80,000 3-liter diesels that violated emissions limits -- previously, it was only accounting for 2-liter vehicles. Barring surprises, the deal could be made official as soon as the 19th.
Jon Fingas12.18.2016
EPA could lock in emissions rules before Trump takes office
The EPA and the Obama administration set lofty goals for lowering vehicle greenhouse gas emissions back in 2012. Under those terms, US automakers would have until 2025 to double fuel efficiency to 54.5 MPG which would lead to well over $1 trillion is fuel savings over the life of new cars. Of course, the plan would cost manufacturers $200 billion to meet that goal before the end of the 13-year term.
Billy Steele11.30.2016
Worldwide carbon emissions were flat for third year in a row
For the third year in a row, carbon emissions around the world have remained flat, according to the research group Global Carbon Project. The group revealed its findings in the Global Carbon Budget 2016, which measures how much carbon is emitted by countries around the world, and then how much of that is absorbed into the earth by plants, land and oceans. The remaining carbon hangs out in the atmosphere and drives global warming, and it's the focus of Global Carbon Project's research.
Jessica Conditt11.14.2016
VW says Audi software can distort emissions during tests
No, the Volkswagen Auto Group's emission cheating scandal isn't done unfolding. VW has confirmed earlier reports (including one from Suddeutsche Zeitung) that Audi software can distort emissions during tests. Cars with automatic transmissions can change their shift patterns in a way that lowers carbon dioxide and nitric oxide emissions, making it appear as if the vehicles are more eco-friendly than they are during typical driving. The transmission normally adapts based solely on the driving conditions, VW says.
Jon Fingas11.13.2016
Donald Trump's environmental plan and more in the week that was
The Hyperloop keeps getting realer by the day. This week, architects unveiled detailed plans for a next-gen transportation system that will travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in just 12 minutes. Meanwhile, Elon Musk announced big plans to build a second Gigafactory in Europe that will produce lithium-ion batteries and electric cars. Gogoro rolled out a faster, more powerful version of its battery-swapping electric Smartscooter, while Vespa delighted fans with plans to launch an all-electric model next year. And MIT teamed up with NASA to develop a new "morphing" airplane wing that could revolutionize aviation.
Inhabitat11.13.2016
Planet Earth might be the biggest loser under President Trump
Deny it all he wants, Donald Trump did in fact tweet that global warming is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese to damage American manufacturing. But, let's give him the benefit of the doubt and say that since 2012 his opinion on the matter has evolved. Even if he no longer considers the concept of climate change to be a conspiracy cooked up by China, he still clearly doubts the science, and that will have significant consequences.
Terrence O'Brien11.09.2016
EPA hands out $4.5 million to build better air pollution sensors
The Environmental Protection Agency doesn't just want to clamp down on pollution... it wants to develop the technology that helps spot that pollution. It's handing out a total of $4.5 million in grants to six research teams (including Carnegie Mellon, MIT and the University of Washington) to help develop lower-cost, easier-to-use air pollution sensors. EPA officials hope that this will help neighborhoods track their own air quality and improve health on a local level. You'd have a better idea of whether or not industry really is contributing to the smog in your neighborhood, for instance. Although it'll likely take a long while before you see results come out these grants, they could easily pay off if they lead to cleaner air in your neck of the woods.
Jon Fingas08.09.2016
EPA findings should lead to caps on aircraft emissions
It's no secret that aircraft contribute to harmful emissions like road-going vehicles, and the Environmental Protection Agency is one step closer to keeping that pollution in check. It recently finalized findings showing that some aircraft produce air pollution that contributes directly to climate change. As a result, the EPA is now free to set standards for aircraft emissions that help the US honor the Clean Air Act and, ultimately, its commitment to the Paris climate change agreement. While the US is already backing an international standard, this gives it the chance to demand tougher (or at least, more America-specific) requirements.
Jon Fingas07.26.2016
Biggest US coal miner bankrolled anti-climate change groups
The wealthy using its money to suppress (or avenge) inconvenient truths is nothing new, even if nobody thought to use a washed-up pro wrestler for cover until now. But there are far worse things for a one-percenter to do than force Gawker into bankruptcy, such as helping to push the planet towards a preventable ecological crisis. The Guardian has found that Peabody Energy, America's biggest coal mining company, used its cash to bankroll an enormous and diverse group of pro-carbon lobby groups and scientists. The now-bankrupt firm is accused of funding what one source described as "the heart and soul of climate denial."
Daniel Cooper06.13.2016
The After Math: Regulation Nation
Exciting news coming from the wild world of government rule making this week. The FDA signed off on a medical experiment designed to jumpstart your brain after it's died. Surprisingly, no, lead-acid batteries are not involved. The FDA also made waves by denying minors the ability to buy e-cigarettes, prompting calls from the public for the agency to explain why it took so damn long to do so. The FAA relaxed its rules over drone swarms, Takata pissed off the DoT yet again and Tesla made the EPA look a little silly. Numbers, because the Feds said so.
Andrew Tarantola05.08.2016
Don't bank on Volkswagen paying you $5,000 just yet
Well, this is awkward. Yesterday, German newspaper Die Welt claimed that every American with one of Volkswagen's dodgy diesels would receive $5,000 in compensation. Today, Reuters is offering up a contradictory report saying that the terms of the proposed settlement are substantially different. According to sources, VW's as-yet-confidential deal with regulators means it'll buy back 500,000 of the vehicles that cheated emissions tests. In addition, $1 billion is being set aside as an apology fund for affected owners who will need to buy a new ride. Simple division means that you'd be getting your money back on the car, plus an extra two grand as a mea culpa.
Daniel Cooper04.21.2016
Apple, Google and Microsoft back EPA's emissions strategy
The White House and Environmental Protection Agency may have their plans for carbon dioxide emissions reduction hanging by a thread in court, but they're getting some big allies in their corner. Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft have submitted a joint legal brief supporting the EPA's Clean Power Plan following a challenge by 29 states. They argue that the emissions regulation is not only realistic, but makes good business sense. Prices for solar and wind power are coming down, and their energy is a hedge against both volatile fuel prices and outages -- you can store unused power to ride out a storm, for instance.
Jon Fingas04.02.2016
VW wants to fix emissions cheating with catalytic converters
Volkswagen has already promised to recall US vehicles caught up in its emissions cheating scandal, but how is it actually going to fix most of them? We now have a good idea. Bild, the Financial Times and Reuters all hear that VW is proposing the installation of a catalytic converter (reportedly "made in part from new materials") on 430,000 of the 600,000-plus affected cars sold in the US. It's not certain whether or not the country's Environmental Protection Agency is onboard with the idea, but that may answered when VW chief Matthias Müller meets with the American regulator on January 13th.
Jon Fingas01.10.2016
EPA plans more real-world emissions tests in light of VW's cheating
Car makers like Volkswagen should have an even tougher time cheating on emissions tests than they first thought. The Environmental Protection Agency has revealed that it'll include considerably more real-world diesel emissions tests as part of its improved inspections. The on-the-road testing isn't as sophisticated as what you'd find in the lab, but it should reduces the chances that companies will fudge results. Moreover, vendors won't get a chance at optimizing for the EPA's new tests -- it's keeping its exact methodology a secret.
Jon Fingas11.09.2015
ComEd wants to put a million smart thermostats in Illinois homes
ComEd, the largest power provider in Illinois, wants to give its customers a hand in switching over to smart thermostats like those from Nest and Ecobee. The idea is to get a million of them installed within the next five years, according to The Washington Post. The utilities company is offering $120 rebates to its customers who buy the gizmos and the Environmental Protection Agency tells WaPo that it's the "largest effort of its kind" in the country. ComEd likens the push to switch to the connected thermostats to the not-that-long-ago transition to compact fluorescent bulbs in terms of energy savings. Should the program be a success, it could drop total carbon dioxide emissions in the state by 709,000 metric tons and save folks up to $131 per year on their gas and electricity bills.
Timothy J. Seppala10.13.2015
Volkswagen will recall its super-polluting cars in 2016
Matthias Mueller, the man that Volkswagen hopes will save the company after Emissions-gate, has revealed the first stage in his rescue plan. According to Reuters, the executive told German media that the firm will begin recalling its emissions-cheating vehicles in January, with the program running until the end of 2016. Mueller is quoted as saying that the vehicles will all be "fixed" by that date, implying that the company has found a safe way to reduce their emissions levels. In addition, Mueller has revealed that he's using the crisis as justification to conduct a top-down reorganization of the German car conglomerate. The chief has pledged to make his company smaller and less centralized, adding that each of its various divisions will have to justify their contribution to the overall firm. Which, if we're honest, sounds ominous in the extreme.[Image Credit: AFP/Getty]
Daniel Cooper10.07.2015
The EPA is cracking down hard on auto industry shenanigans
The smogging scandal that has enveloped Volkswagen has also left the Environmental Protection Agency with something of a black eye. So even though the EPA failed to catch on to VW's games this time, the agency is damn sure not about to let it happen again. Like, ever. "The Volkswagen violations before us now make it clear, we need to adapt and step up our oversight," Janet McCabe, acting administrator in the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, said during a press conference.
Andrew Tarantola09.25.2015
Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resigns amid emissions scandal
Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn announced his resignation on Wednesday, following a tumultuous week for the company. On September 18th, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered Volkswagen to recall 500,000 of its diesel passenger cars because they included software that hid the vehicles' true emissions output from regulators. "I am stunned that misconduct on such a scale was possible in the Volkswagen Group," Winterkorn said in a statement obtained by CNBC. Winterkorn denied any wrongdoing on his own part, but he accepted "responsibility for the irregularities that have been found in diesel engines."
Jessica Conditt09.23.2015