South Korea Gov Fines Daimler for ILLEGAL Software

The air pollution on our planet from CO2 emissions from cars is incredibly high. The smog, carbon monoxide, and other toxins emitted by vehicles are especially troubling because they leave tailpipes at street level, where humans breathe the polluted air directly into their lungs. That can make car emissions an even more immediate health concern than toxins emitted high in the sky by industrial smokestacks.

For this reason, the governments of many countries tighten the requirements for the level of car emissions. Each country has its own standards and car manufacturers are required to comply with them.

Unfortunately, large automobile concerns periodically violate these requirements, installing special software on their cars that underestimates the level of emissions. These actions cause great damage to the environment and human health.

According to Finanznachrichten, Daimler has to pay a fine of 77.6 billion won ($63.1 million) in South Korea for installing illegal exhaust gas software in diesel cars.

Photo: Shutterstock

According to a representative of the Ministry of Environmental Protection on Thursday, a criminal case will also be instituted against Mercedes Benz Korea. The case should be referred to the prosecutor’s office today or Friday. It would be the biggest fine in South Korea for the automaker for misleading exhaust gas test data. Daimler has announced that it will appeal the decision.

The allegations concerned twelve Mercedes Benz models that were sold in South Korea between 2012 and 2018. Prohibited emission control software was found in the Mercedes C, M, and S-Class variants, as well as the GLC, GLE, and GLS SUVs. It is alleged that nitrogen oxide emissions are not compliant.

Investigations in South Korea were related to recall orders issued by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority in 2018. Opposition proceedings in Germany are still ongoing.

The Department of the Environment also decided to impose fines on the South Korean offshoots of Nissan and Porsche for the same charges - but they are much lower than Daimler’s. According to information, Nissan Korea will pay 900 million won, and Porsche Korea will pay one billion won. The fined models are Nissan's Qashqai and Porsche's Macan S. In August 2019, South Korea already fined Porsche and Audi Volkswagen Korea for similar charges.

At the moment, our planet critically needs to reduce its CO2 emissions. While electric car manufacturers are investing their money and time in the development and production of cars that will help solve this problem, some of ICE car manufacturers are investing money and time in the development of fraudulent software, the purpose of which is only to deceive, while continuing to pollute our planet with deadly gas.

Featured image: Regis Duvignau/Reuters