Ford sued over alleged emissions cheating in diesel pickups

APD NEWS

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First it was German automaker Volkswagen's Dieselgate scandal. Now American auto giant Ford Motor has been accused of emissions cheating in a bid to promote its diesel engine trucks.

A class action lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in Detroit claiming that Ford and German auto supplier Bosch knowingly installed emissions-cheating software devices in 2011-2017 Ford 250 and 350 Super Duty diesel pickup trucks.

A Ford 250 pickup truck

According to law firm for the plaintiffs, Hagens Berman, the affected pickups which drivers paid 8,400 US dollars more than the gasoline edition for higher fuel efficiency, could pollute the air with NOx (nitrogen oxide) at levels up to 50 times the legal limit.

However, the firm said in a statement that Ford marketed and sold these trucks as the "cleanest Super Diesel ever," and said it used "proven technology and innovative Ford strategies to meet the latest federal emissions standards."

Hagens Berman hit Ford and Bosch with a total 58 counts of violations of state consumer laws, false advertising laws, deceptive trade laws as well as violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), adding that "Ford did not act alone," but colluded with Bosch in an organized scheme to evade emissions requirements for the sake of profit.

Neither Ford nor Bosch have reacted to the accusations.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)