Government Shutdown Puts On Hold EPA Certification, Stalls New Car Launches

The government shutdown could lead to unexpected delays in new car launches as the EPA is putting on hold its emission testing procedures, messing with the scheduled new car and truck launches.

Automakers are starting to express their concern for the uncertainty over federal emission testing; FCA’s CEO Mike Manley said to Detroit News that while EPA has certified the emissions of their RAM 2500, the agency has suspended the process for the 3500 pickup truck.

“It’s on hold,” Manley said, “hopefully until the shutdown gets resolved. At some point, they need to be certified.” Both the RAM 2500 and 3500 are supposed to go on sale this spring.

General Motors is similarly affected, saying that they are “awaiting decisions in the certification process for a number of model-year 2020 vehicles,” without providing a list of specific models affected by the situation. The Environmental Protection Agency is one of the 12 federal agencies affected by the partial government shutdown that’s going on for over a month now.

According to the Clean Air Act, the EPA is required to certify any new vehicle or new engine before it goes on sale.

“Automakers continue to monitor the performance of their products during this time, and we continue to hope the government shutdown is resolved expeditiously so EPA staff can carry on their work,” Gloria Bergquist, vice president of communications and public affairs for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers added.