Daimler announced Tuesday that the repairs would be aimed at reducing nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions on the vehicles. Excessive NOx emissions are what got Volkswagen into hot water in 2015 when it was discovered that the automaker had intentionally evaded regulations.
Though Daimler has not yet announced any recalls for vehicles in the U.S., such an action is likely to follow, as U.S. regulations on diesel emissions are stricter than European standards.
The automaker has come under scrutiny in Europe amid rumors that German prosecutors are investigating its diesel automobiles to determine whether they contain emissions cheat software.
As a result of the VW scandal and the U.S. government’s lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler over its own diesel emissions, diesel “bashing has become more fashionable than popping Rosé corks in the South of France,” according to Evercore ISI analyst Arndt Ellinghorst.
Daimler has said it would spend upwards of a quarter billion to fix the vehicles at no cost to customers.
“In this way, Daimler is making a significant contribution to the reduction of nitrogen-oxide emissions from diesel vehicles in European inner cities,” the company said in a statement.
When asked whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is investigating Daimler, the agency released a statement: “EPA is continuing to evaluate light-duty diesel vehicles from a number of manufacturers” but “will not comment on the status of our testing and administrative decisions regarding any specific manufacturer” or any potential investigation.
Source: CNNMoney