Two Italians accused of Fiat Chrysler in the United States

US authorities announced on Tuesday that they have indicted two Italian officials at Fiat Chrysler USA (FCA US, a subsidiary of Stellantis Group) for lying about emissions control of diesel cars sold in the United States.

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The Ministry of Justice accuses Sergio Pasini and Gianluca Sabioni, who reside in Italy, of making false or misleading statements about the control systems of more than 100,000 vehicles. Charges have already been brought against a third Michigan resident, Emmanuel Palma, for the same reasons. They were responsible for developing and calibrating some of the diesel engines used by FCA, including programs designed to control the level of pollutant emissions from vehicles. According to the authorities, during official tests, they deliberately calibrated the software to release less nitric oxide (NOx), a gas believed to be responsible for many respiratory conditions, thus deceiving regulators and affecting consumers.

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Fiat Chrysler agreed in early 2019 to pay up to $ 515 million to various US authorities who accused it of forging more than 100,000 cars. The manufacturer has also committed to recalling affected cars to bring them into compliance with the standards. The case was followed by Dieselgate, the scandal unleashed by German Volkswagen when it admitted in 2015 that it had equipped a total of 11 million of its diesel cars with software capable of falsifying emissions test results.