USA TODAY…The brands also will give up greenhouse gas emissions credits — estimated by the EPA as worth $200 million — because of the lower mileage ratings added up to 4.75 million more metric tons of greenhouse gases. They also agreed to spend $50 million on an independent unit to set their future mileage estimates…
The civil penalty is the largest ever under the Clean Air Act, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department…
Because of the improper testing procedures, the brands were forced in 2012 to lower mileage estimates by 1 to 6 miles per gallon for a raft of model year 2011 through 2013 Hyundai and Kia vehicles, including the Hyundai Accent, Elantra, Veloster and Santa Fe and the Kia Rio and Soul. The brands then created a compensation program for customers to repay them for their lower mileage. They also a year ago settled a series of lawsuits over the restatement for about $400 million… (more)
