Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency accused Fiat Chrysler Automobiles of failing to disclose the presence of software in over 100,000 of its diesel trucks and SUVs that could be used to alter the vehicles' emissions readings.
Sound familiar?
If you recall, Volkswagen came under fire in 2015 after regulatory investigations revealed that the company had used "defeat devices" designed to hide excess nitrogen oxide emissions that were more than nine times the EPA's allowable levels. For more on the Volkswagon scandal, check out my post here.
A defeat device is a program that adjusts certain functions in the vehicle's emissions control system. The purpose of the technology is to sense when the vehicle is undergoing emissions tests administered by regulatory agencies.
In the 1950s, we discovered that combustion engines were responsible for a large portion of the air pollution. As a result, countries began rolling out laws limiting the amount of air pollutants that vehicles could emit while operating on the road. To meet these standards, manufacturers installed filter and treatment mechanisms in vehicle exhaust systems. Nowadays the emission control systems are controlled by computers in the vehicle's engine. They are effective but they can impact performance and reduce gas mileage.
So manufacturers started cheating.
The standard emissions tests used by regulatory agencies are not secret--they have been around for years, largely unchanged. Aware of the parameters, manufacturers started programming vehicles to activate their emissions control system only when they are being tested. Using the position of steering wheel, outside temperature, acceleration, etc., the software knows the difference between test driving and the regular, on-the-road driving that you and I do. Once the tests are completed the emission control system shuts off, allowing pollutants to escape at much higher levels.
But Fiat Chrysler SWEARS that the software on its vehicles is different! In fact, the CEO referred to the EPA's allegations as "unadulterated hogwash" and "absolute nonsense."
