German Environmental Aid sues Federal Motor Transport Authority in Fiat Ducato emissions scandal
The Emission Control Institute (EKI) of the German Environmental Aid (DUH) has carried out measurements on a total of nine Fiat Ducato-based motorhomes with alarming results. Vehicles from the manufacturers Weinsberg, Pilote, Knaus, Hobby, Dethleffs, Challenger and Carthago were tested.
The respective nitrogen oxide limit was far exceeded in all tested models of the Euro 5 and Euro 6 emission standards (not 6d or 6d temp). This also includes models that were newly registered in mid-2019, i.e. more than three years after the diesel scandal became known. These exceed the Euro 6 nitrogen oxide limit by up to 16 times. Up to 70% of the motorhomes produced in Germany are built on a Fiat chassis or equipped with a Fiat engine.
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Julia Robl
The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has now been sued by DUH in November 2022. The accusation is: inaction.
The KBA had not intervened in the case of the "extremely high emission levels" of motorhomes of the Fiat Ducato models, although it was obliged as a market surveillance authority under an EU regulation that came into force in September 2020 to do something about the inadmissible defeat devices and the seriously excessive nitrogen oxide emissions.
The KBA rejects the accusation of inaction.
The action against the Federal Republic of Germany, represented by the KBA, is pending before the Schleswig-Holstein Administrative Court (Case No. 3 A 177/22).
Measurements with poor results: "Extremely high nitrogen oxide emissions".
At the end of 2020, DUH found "extremely high nitrogen oxide emissions" when measuring two Fiat Ducato-based motor homes and forwarded the results to the KBA. In May 2021, the KBA confirmed in a letter that its own measurements of the same vehicle models had also revealed excessively high nitrogen oxide emissions. They also announced that further steps would be taken.
After the announcement of the KBAs the DUH undertook further measurements at seven camper vans, likewise from the Fiat Ducato row, and arrived again at remarkable measuring results.
They then asked the KBA to take action again and filed a complaint against inaction in June 2022, which was now followed by the lawsuit.
Rejection of the DUH's accusations
The KBA believes that its powers as a market surveillance authority under the new regulation(EU 2018/858) do not extend to tested vehicles.
