Mitsubishi fined $29.65 million in emission scandal

Back in 2016, Mitsubishi had also admitted to falsifying its fuel economy figures for a 25-year period.

Mitsubishi has become the latest car brand to get caught in the diesel vehicle emissions scandal. The Japanese carmaker has been fined US$ 29.65 million by German prosecutors over allegations of diesel emissions fraud.

German authorities raided 10 sites in 2020, as part of an ongoing investigation against suspected car brands for using a 'cheat' device to falsify the emission readings from their diesel vehicles.

Reports suggest that, while Mitsubishi's involvement wasn't as far-fetched as a few other brands, its 1.6-litre and 2.2-litre diesel engines were found to come fitted with a device that falsified the pollutant readings.

Reports also stated that while the official emission figures claimed to meet Euro 5 & Euro 6 norms, there was no possibility of these engines matching the regulations.

Having said that, the investigation showed that Mitsubishi's violations didn't happen "knowingly or wilfully" and that the carmaker wasn't involved in fraudulent behaviour. Mitsubishi is said to have already paid the fine amount, without contesting. The investigator has confirmed that the case against them is now closed.

Mitsubishi had been using diesel engines sourced from Volkswagen in the past. The Japanese carmaker found it to be a much more cost-effective method, compared to developing their own diesel engines from scratch. The partnership between Volkswagen and Mitsubishi, however, came to an end in 2010.

Having said that, the investigation by the German authorities is said to have concentrated towards Mitsubishi's own diesel engine line-up, available post-2010.

Back in 2016, Mitsubishi had also admitted to falsifying its fuel economy figures for a 25-year period.

Source: TheDriving.co.uk