
U.S. authorities recently disclosed a significant $1.6 billion agreement with Hino Motors, a subsidiary of Toyota, to resolve allegations of deceiving regulators about the emission levels of its diesel engines. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Hino was found to have manipulated emissions test data to secure permission to import and distribute more than 110,000 diesel engines, the majority of which were utilized in heavy-duty trucks produced by the company.
This settlement involves Hino pleading guilty to participating in a criminal conspiracy that involved providing false information to regulators and consumers, which violated environmental protection laws and put public health at risk, as stated by Attorney General Merrick Garland. The resolution, brokered with U.S. regulators and California - known for its stringent vehicle emission standards, encompasses criminal and civil penalties amounting to over $1.6 billion, with specific figures including a $521.76 million criminal penalty, $442.5 million in civil penalties to U.S. authorities, and $236.5 million allocated to California.
Acting EPA administrator Jane Nishida emphasized that Hino's actions had a direct adverse impact on the EPA's efforts to safeguard the public from air pollution, highlighting the severity of the company's violations. If the proposed settlement receives the approval of a federal district court judge in Michigan, it will contain provisions such as a five-year probationary period during which Hino is prohibited from importing diesel engines it has manufactured into the U.S. and the establishment of a comprehensive compliance and ethics program, as per the EPA's directives. Additionally, Hino is mandated to conduct recalls of specific trucks equipped with engines that violate emission standards and allocate around $155 million towards replacing marine and locomotive engines nationwide to mitigate excessive air emissions.