US consumers sue General Motors for rigging emissions

By Ovunc Kutlu

NEW YORK

General Motors (GM) rigged emissions controls in its diesel vehicles, law firm Hagens Berman said Thursday.

Approximately 705,000 GM vehicles passed emissions tests but "in real world conditions the trucks emit 2 to 5 times the legal limits of deadly NOx pollutants," the consumer-rights law firm said in a statement referring to nitrogen oxide.

GM is accused of using three distinct "defeat devices" to increase the power and efficiency of its vehicles, while the devices turn down "emissions controls in place compared to when the vehicles are in a testing environment”.

German automaker Volkswagen pleaded guilty in March to cheating emissions tests by using software in nearly 600,000 vehicles in the U.S., while 11 million of its diesel vehicles around the world are estimated to have the manipulative software.

Hagens Berman was also involved in Volkswagen's diesel emissions settlement that includes more than $11 billion would go to buybacks, owner compensation and to offset emissions and clean vehicle initiatives

Fiat Chrysler was sued earlier this week by Justice Department for using software to cheat on emissions tests in some of its vehicles.