Well, it’s like 2015 all over again, but this time it involves Ram pickup trucks. And a lot of them. Engine maker Cummins is recalling 600,000 Ram trucks as part of a huge $2 billion settlement with both federal and California authorities for using illegal software to cheat results of diesel emissions tests.
The settlement was reached in December, but new details emerged yesterday noting that Cummins had agreed to pay $1.675 billion in civil penalties – the largest ever to be paid under the Clean Air Act – in addition to $325 million to remedy environmental damage, the AP reports. The total bill is more than $2 billion, in what federal and California authorities called a landmark settlement.
“Let this settlement be a lesson: We won’t let greedy corporations cheat their way to success and run over the health and well-being of consumers and our environment along the way,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta told reporters yesterday.
The scope of the scandal is mind-blowing, with Stellantis-owned Ram cranking out hundreds of thousands of Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks over the past decade all equipped with Cummins diesel engines and their illegal software, known as defeat devices. According to the report, the software limited nitrogen oxide pollution during emissions tests, but then let the pollution fly during “normal operations,” the government said.
From 2013 to 2019, about 630,000 pickups from the 2013 through 2019 model years were equipped with the software, all of which are being recalled. Stellantis had no comment on the case.
Cummins, however, said that the engines that are being recalled didn’t necessarily exceed emissions limits, the AP wrote. But rather the software couldn’t detect if they did, so the punishment is more for not reporting the software.
But estimates suggest otherwise, saying that all of those trucks produced “thousands of tons of excess emissions of nitrogen oxides,” US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement.
Electrek’s Take
Well, we certainly don’t have to tell Electrek readers about diesel and its effects on our health and the planet. But it’s pretty crazy to think just how far the auto industry will go to keep these engines running for nothing more than pure profit. It’s been seven years since Volkswagen had its turn, pleading guilty to criminal felony counts after US investigations into its use of illegal software to cheat emissions tests. Volkswagen installed 11 million vehicles around the world with the software, allowing the cars to emit 40 times the pollution than the standards allowed. VW agreed to pay $2.8 billion in criminal fines and $1.5 billion in civil resolutions.
Fiat Chrysler pulled a similar stunt in 2019, after more than 100,000 EcoDiesel Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles were sold with defeat devices installed. The automaker paid $305 million to settle the claims. In 2020, Daimler paid $857 million in penalties for violating the Clean Air Act.
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For those who don’t remember, the rollout of the previous refresh was terrible. Tesla took orders for almost a year, but it waited for almost another year to start deliveries due to problems ramping up production.
Now, it appears that deliveries in Europe will occur within 6 months of the refresh and within weeks of ordering for most people.
That said, the mid-cycle refresh has been considered mild and isn’t likely to have a significant impact on sales.
I wouldn’t expect more than a few thousand Model S/X sales in Europe per year.
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Uber gets it. The rideshare behemoth has observed the upward trend of EV adoption across its database of customers and drivers and is helping to support that transition. Beginning today, the “Uber Green” ride option is now called “Uber Electric,” visible to all app users worldwide. To celebrate the transition, Uber is offering discounted rides for those opting for electric vehicles, and drivers may also qualify for a $4,000 grant.
At this point, Uber is a household name in the rideshare and logistics industries. Hell, it’s even a verb at this point. You don’t get this far without innovation and foresight, something the $200 billion company has excelled at to constantly evolve and adapt.
I recall when Uber initially offered only black town cars. Now you can order an UberX, Uber XL, Uber Comfort, Uber Eats, Uber Pet, rent a car, order groceries… the list goes on. In terms of electric vehicle adoption, Uber has long shown interest in the technology and quickly understood that EVs are ideal for the gig economy that comprises its market.
We’ve seen Uber partner with several autonomous vehicle developers, many of which operate fleets of electric vehicles. In fact, we’ve covered so many partnerships between Uber and other exciting mobility companies that we can’t begin to name all of them.
Today, Uber has recognized the dwindling incentives available to US drivers interested in going electric and has tweaked its rideshare offerings to promote more sustainable options.
Source: Uber
Uber Green goes full-electric worldwide today
According to an email sent from Uber this morning, Uber Green has been renamed Uber Electric. Per the company, the new name “reflects record EV growth on our platform, making it easier for riders to choose zero-emissions rides.”
Uber elaborated that over 200,000 EVs are driving on its global network, and 1 in 4 of its customers say their first-ever EV ride was through the Uber app (I hope it wasn’t in the back seat of a Model Y, because that’s a rough ride).
Today’s transition builds upon Uber’s decision to make Uber Green (a mix of hybrids and EVs) fully electric in the US earlier this year. Those parameters now apply to the entire rideshare network. Pradeep Parameswaran, Global Head of Mobility at Uber, spoke:
Uber Electric is more than a new name, it represents the real progress we’ve made toward electrifying our platform globally over the past five years. Thousands of drivers are leading the charge, choosing electric and helping cities improve air quality. We’ll keep supporting drivers by removing barriers to EV adoption and working with cities to improve access to charging.
To celebrate the transition to Uber Electric, the company is offering customers 20% off (up to $8) their next EV ride when they use promo code GOELECTRIC20 (valid for 7 days).
Additionally, Uber has recognized the expired federal grant of $4,000 for used EV purchases in the US and is keeping that incentive alive in certain states to entice drivers to continue to go fully-electric. The company’s “Go Electric” grants will offer eligible Uber drivers up to $4,000 toward new and used electric vehicle purchases, but only in the following regions:
California
Colorado
Massachussetts
New York City
Uber’s grant can be combined with other individual state incentives, making it easier than ever for drivers to go electric, depending on their state. Uber pointed out that US drivers nationwide can still receive $1,000 toward any new or used EV purchased through TrueCar.
Go electric! Opt for the EV option on your next ride and use that discount code!
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Tesla is recalling approximately 13,000 recent Model 3 and Model Y vehicles built earlier this year due to a battery pack defect that can result in power loss.
In August, Tesla started getting reports of power losses in new Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.
After reviewing 36 warranty claims and 26 field reports, the automaker identified a defect in some battery pack contactors that could potentially affect approximately 8,000 Model Ys and 5,000 Model 3s built in the US between March and August 2025.
Tesla wrote in the recall notice:
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The recall population includes certain Model Year (“MY”) 2025 Model 3 vehicles manufactured between March 8, 2025, and August 12, 2025, and MY 2026 Model Y vehicles manufactured between March 15, 2025, and August 15, 2025, that are equipped with a battery pack contactor manufactured with InTiCa solenoid.
If the battery pack contactor opens when the vehicle is in drive, it loses power and ability to apply torque, which may increase the risk of a collision – hence the safety recall.
The automaker identified Sistemas Mecatrónicos InTiCa S.A.P.I., a tier 2 supplier in Mexico, and SongChuan, a tier 1 supplier in Taiwan, as being involved in the recall.
Tesla confirmed that it is contacting all potentially affected owners and it will replace the affected contactor with “a certified contactor that does not contain InTica solenoid and that maintains coil termination connection” at no cost to owners.
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