No defeat devices found in Fiat probe

Tests carried out on Euro-5 diesel vehicles sold in Italy have found to defeat devices, according to the Italian transport ministry. A final report on the investigation was published yesterday. The ministry investigated 18 total diesel vehicles from various manufacturers in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal. "Based on the tests, no defeat devices not permitted under emissions regulations in force in the European Union were found," the ministry said in a statement. The final report comes after a preliminary draft, obtained by Reuters last month, showed some Fiat Chrysler vehicles were initially allowed to skip key emissions tests during the investigation. Reuters examined the data and found three of the seven Fiat Chrysler models investigated, including the Jeep Cherokee 2.0, Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.6 and Lancia Ypsilon 1.3, contained missing results for on-road measurement phase and the EU ‘NEDC’ lab test. All seven Fiat Chrylser models also lack data for an ‘Artemis’ test, which adjust the lab test to reflect urban driving styles. Previous testing by French and German authorities found the Jeep Grand Cherokee emitted between 5.3 and 9.9 times the legal nitrous oxide limit. Another independent road test of a Fiat 500L, which uses the same engine as the Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.6, found nitrous oxide levels more than 5.6 times the limit. In January, Germany’s transport minister, Alexander Dobrindt, called for several diesel Fiat models to be pulled from the market amid suspicions they were fitted with defeat devices. The European Commission also expressed concern at the vehicles.