General Motors fined $146 million for exceeding promised CO2 emissions levels

General Motors has reached a settlement with the U.S. government regarding an environmental lawsuit, agreeing to pay a $145.8 million fine. This fine comes after it was discovered that certain GM vehicles emitted more carbon than the company had initially promised. The case pertains to approximately 5.9 million pickup trucks and SUVs manufactured between 2012 and 2018. Tests conducted on these models revealed that their CO₂ emissions were on average more than 10 percent higher than what GM had claimed.

As part of the settlement, GM will be forfeiting around 50 million tons of carbon credits, which have a market value amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. This comes at a time when the Biden administration has imposed stricter emissions standards for cars in the United States as of March. These regulations will see permissible emissions for new vehicles gradually decreasing in the years to come, which will ideally incentivize manufacturers to transition towards electric fleets.

In another instance from June 2023, GM was also required to pay $128.2 million for failing to meet fuel economy targets for pickup trucks that were sold in the years 2018 and 2019. These legal actions highlight the growing emphasis on environmental compliance within the automotive industry, serving as a reminder for companies to prioritize sustainability in their operations.