• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Ford hires external experts over emission inquiry

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Ford has commissioned outside experts to investigate its testing procedure. The move is coming shortly after a criminal investigation was opened into the way Ford tests the emissions of its vehicles. The process is expected to last several months.

Recall that BBC Report only last Friday explained that the US Department of Justice took action after Ford alerted the US Environmental Protection Agency to potential problems.

Ford employees had before the development raised concerns about the computer modelling and, in particular, the figures Ford engineers used for road load, which involves the weight of the vehicle and other data.

“We are fully co-operating with all government agencies. Because this matter is still in the preliminary stages, we cannot predict the outcome, and we cannot provide assurance that it will not have a material adverse effect on us,” Ford said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Ford said the issue did not involve the use of defeat devices, which were at the centre of the emissions scandal involving Volkswagen in 2015 which was found to have used software that could cheat emissions tests. Emissions testing in the US have two parts: testing on the road and computer modelling.

The modelling generates mileage and emissions data submitted to regulators. Regulators have been paying closer attention to emissions testing since the scandal involving Volkswagen emerged in 2015.

VW sold more than 10 million cars between mid-2007 and 2015 that had emissions-test-cheating software installed and was fined €1bn (£880m) by German prosecutors over the scandal and in 2017 agreed to pay $4.3bn (£3.5bn) to settle a US investigation. Under the deal with the Department of Justice, VW agreed to scrutiny by an independent monitor for three years.

 

MIKE OCHONMA