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Mercedes-Benz hit with second-largest fuel efficiency fine ever by NHTSA

 
4 2,537 views Jan 8, 2009

The $28.9 million fine is second only to DaimlerChrysler's 2007 fine of $30.3 million

The $28.9 million fine is second only to DaimlerChrysler's 2007 fine of $30.3 million

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Mercedes-Benz has been fined $28.9 million for failure to meet federal fuel efficiency standards by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this week. The amount is the second-largest in the history of agency.

Part of the U.S. CAFE standards, enforced by the NHTSA includes a provision for fines when the requisite levels of efficiency aren't met. That power of enforcement also saw Porsche Cars North America, Maserati Automobiles and Ferrari North America pay fines of $1.1-1.2 million apiece, reports the Detroit Free Press.

In 2008, over $37 million in total fines were assessed on six different carmakers. Mercedes' $28.9 million share accounts for over 78% of that total amount. The now-split DaimlerChrysler's record $30.3 million fine was assessed for vehicles built during the 2006 model year, and was itself due primarily to Mercedes-Benz's vehicles.



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Comments (4)

  1. ma_Roy avatar Roy Posted: 1/8/2009 10:45am PST

    I wondered why those annoying ads touting M-B's fuel efficiency had stopped. I guess the thing I'm most surprised by is how small the fine is. Ferrari was fined the equivalent of two cars. That's peanuts. I'm surprised that car companies are even bothering to fight the CAFE regulations - the lawyers will charge them more than the Fed govt ever will!
     
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  2. ma_JSH avatar JSH Posted: 1/8/2009 11:13am PST

    That is only $120 per car. Mercedes has always thumbed its' nose at the EPA and just paid the fines. Nothing new here.
     
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  3. ma_Steve740 avatar Steve740 Posted: 1/8/2009 3:06pm PST

    European car manufacturers actually make room for these fines in their budget, BMW and Porsche often get hit the hardest but it appears that BMW didn't have to pay much this time. Still I read up on these regulations a month ago and I still don't see how the domestic manufacturers beat them. There's a seperate provision in there for trucks stating that they have to get 22 mpg on the highway now, meanwhile GM and Ford both brag about their trucks getting 21 mpg...something is wrong with the picture, the CAFE standards really seem like protectionist policy to me.
     
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  4. ma_justinhk2000 avatar justinhk2000 Posted: 1/8/2009 4:22pm PST

    BMW is actually a very fuel efficient car company, excluding their "SAV's" Most of their cars get over 25 mpg including the twin turbo 335i. Their Diesels get about 35 while their 328i gets around 28. My aunt owns a last gen 330xi and she manages about 38 on the highway.
     
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