Feb. 8, 2019—Fiat Chrysler paid $77 million in U.S. civil penalties late last year for failing to meet 2016 model year fuel economy requirements, which is the first sign that the industry could be facing hurdles meeting emissions rules, according to a report by Reuters.
Shane Karr, head of external affairs for Fiat Chrysler in North America, said in a statement the fuel economy program should be reformed rather than “requiring companies to make large compliance payments because assumptions made in 2011 turned out to be wrong.”
The civil penalty payment is much higher than in prior model years. The industry paid $2.3 million in civil penalties in 2014 and $40 million in 2011.