Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has announced it has received approval to sell vehicles equipped with its 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board signed off on the move following months of negotiations and planning. As a result, the company can now sell diesel-powered versions of the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500.
The 2017 models will come equipped with modified emissions software which isn’t expected to have any effect on fuel economy or performance. FCA developed the new software to “address the agencies’ concerns with respect to the diesel emissions control technologies employed on earlier model-year versions of these vehicles.”
The automaker will continue to work with the agencies and will seek their approval to use a version of the software on 2014-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Ram 1500 vehicles. These models were the subject to “Notices of Violation” that were issued by the EPA and CARB earlier this year.
In a statement, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne said “The approvals announced today represent a significant step toward resolving the issues raised by EPA and ARB. We are anxious to build on this progress to make appropriate updates to the emissions control software in our earlier model-year vehicles.”
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