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Fiat Chrysler, surprise, had to buy a lot of emissions credits

The world of carbon emissions uses some unusual units of measure. Take, for example, 8.2 million megagrams. Who needs to know how much that is? Someone at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, that's who. FCA had to buy that many greenhouse-gas emissions credits from greener automakers, Reuters says, citing a report from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Because its vehicles' collective fuel economy continues to trail the industry average, FCA purchased the emissions credits at of the end of 2014 in order to meet US emissions regulations. About two-thirds of those credits were acquired from Toyota, while the rest were purchased from Tesla and Honda. Daimler and Ferrari, not surprisingly, were among the other automobile companies that had to acquire emissions credits in order to meet US greenhouse gas regulations. Because the price for these credits is set privately by the companies, the EPA didn't disclose how much FCA had to pay to stay on the green side. The reason for the millions FCA likely spent is because the company is making a slow progress building and selling cleaner cars. The company did increase average fuel efficiency by about one mile per gallon to almost 22 mpg for the 2015 model year, but it wasn't enough. Such a performance likely only put the automaker in a last-place tie with General Motors. The emissions credits purchased from Tesla are notable because that California-based maker of electric vehicles has long generated substantial revenue by selling various credits to its less-electrified counterparts. In 2013, Tesla sold more of California's ZEV credits than any other automaker, but Nissan took that title in 2014. While these are not the same as the EPA's GHG credits, they do offer another way to track which automakers are meeting the targets and which need help. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Flickr/Ian YVR Government/Legal Green Chrysler Fiat Fuel Efficiency mpg

Chrysler develops fix for Pacifica PHEV minivan fires

In February, Stellantis recalled 19,808 examples of the 2017 and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid minivan due to reports of fires in 12 vehicles. The minivans were manufactured between August 12, 2016, and August 7, 2018. All were parked and turned off when they caught fire; eight of them were plugged in and charging. While engineers worked to isolate the source of the fires, Chrysler advised what's become standard practice in the case of electrical-related fire risks: For owners to park outside away from other objects that could catch on fire. Since then, there have been two more fires in Pacifica PHEVs and the first report of a minor injury because of a fire. Chrysler says it's developed a solution to return the minivan to normal operation and is notifying owners now. The fix is a trip to the dealer to have upgraded software installed for the High Voltage Battery Pack Control Module (BPCM) that manages the 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. Dealers will also inspect the battery pack and replace it if necessary. Of note, Chrysler says it hasn't definitively pinned down the cause of the fires, but it understands the conditions that can lead to the fires. The software's been updated to address these preconditions, the automaker telling Green Car Reports it "has validated its remedy." Owners should continue to park outside and away from structures and refrain from plug-in charging until their vans are fixed, after which they can "resume vehicle operation as outlined in their owners’ manuals." The repair will take from 1.5 to two days; a rental or courtesy car will be provided free of charge.  Stellantis has already begun sending letters to owners. Those with questions can contact their Chrysler dealerships, or get in touch with Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403 and refer to recall number Z11. They can also call the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) and mention campaign number 22V077.   

Fiat/PSA's dominance in small vans hangs up EU's merger approval

BRUSSELS — EU antitrust regulators are concerned about Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot / PSA's combined high market share in small vans and may require concessions to clear their $50 billion merger, people familiar with the matter said. The companies, which are seeking to create the world's fourth biggest carmaker, were told of the European Commission's concerns last week. If Fiat and PSA fail to dispel the European Commission's doubts in the next two days and subsequently decline to offer concessions by Wednesday, the deadline for doing so, the deal would face a four-month-long investigation. The EU competition enforcer, which has set a June 17 deadline for its preliminary review, declined to comment. Fiat was not immediately available for comment while PSA had no immediate comment. Hiving off overlapping businesses, usually a regulatory demand to ensure more competition, could prove tricky for the carmakers because of the technicalities. Fiat and PSA are looking to merge to help offset slowing demand and shoulder the cost of making cleaner vehicles to meet tougher emissions regulations. The deal puts under one roof the Italian carmaker's brands such as Fiat, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Maserati and the French company's Peugeot, Opel and DS. Related Video: Government/Legal Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Citroen Opel Peugeot