GM paying $146M in penalties over older vehicles' emissions

General Motors will pay $146 million in penalties after an investigation found 5.9 million of the company’s vehicles put out excess greenhouse gas emissions, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) announced Wednesday.

The automaker also will forego greenhouse gas credits equivalent to about 50 million metric tons of emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The results of the investigation, first reported by Reuters, found that GM vehicles put out about 10 percent more greenhouse gas emissions than its compliance testing had said.

“EPA’s vehicle standards depend on strong oversight in order to deliver public health benefits in the real world,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. “Our investigation has achieved accountability and upholds an important program that’s reducing air pollution and protecting communities across the country.”

Impacted vehicles include about 4.6 million full-size pickup trucks and SUVs manufactured between 2012-2018 and 1.3 million midsize SUVs in the same period, including Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac models.

The EPA says the vehicles will remain on the road and cannot be repaired. 

Violations were unintentional, the EPA said, unlike similar allegations against Volkswagen in 2015. In that case, prosecutors claimed VW intentionally dodged emissions regulations, imposing a record $4.3 billion in fines and other penalties in a plea agreement.

In a statement to Reuters, GM said it “has at all times complied with and adhered to all applicable laws and regulations in the certification and in-use testing of the vehicles in-question” but added it believes “this is the best course of action to swiftly resolve outstanding issues with the federal government regarding this matter.”