Daimler Could Be Slapped with Fine of 3.75 Billion Euros in Connection to Diesel Emissions Scandal
Giancarlo Perlas June 5, 2018
Daimler, the parent of Mercedes-Benz, is in danger of being fined by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. The penalty could go up to 3.75 billion euros or ($4.4 billion). This is in relation to the involvement of the automaker in the diesel emissions scandal.
According to Spiegel, a German magazine, it was Andreas Scheuer, the Federal Minister for Transport and Digital Infrastructure, who threatened to impose that heavy fine to Daimler. It came after Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche was questioned about how many vehicles under the Mercedes-Benz brand needed to be fixed after investigators found out that one of its models had an illegal software capable of manipulating its emission figures.
The report, citing no official sources, claimed that Scheuer estimated a total of 750,000 Mercedes units affected. The fine for each vehicle could go up to 5,000 euros.
Although Daimler refused to comment on the nature of its talks with the Transport Ministry, preferring to keep the discussions confidential in nature, Spiegel said Scheuer and Zetsche agreed to clear up the highly technical issues concerning diesel emissions. The automaker promised to take concrete steps in resolving the matter by fixing the affected cars and vans.
The magazine also alleged that the diesel models of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class could be affected. That could result to a total of 80,000 vehicles at risk to be recalled. The numbers could add to the 1.6-liter models of the Vito vans that were ordered to be recalled earlier due to their failure to comply with emission regulations.
The ministry and Daimler are scheduled to continue discussions about the issue later this month.
