Daimler, once again, suspected of having altered CO2 emissions

Daimler is allegedly said to have manipulated the emissions of its diesel models. The vehicle analysed is the Mercedes-Benz GLK 220 CDI.

Daimler could once again be under suspicion, as the Efe news agency claims, for having installed a system that “allegedly could manipulate pollutant gas emissions” in around 60,000 units of Mercedes-Benz models, all of them powered by diesel engines.

The vehicle that has come under most suspicion of being fitted with a system that manipulates emissions is the Mercedes-Benz GLK 220 CDI. This model uses an engine that meets the Euro 5 standard and, according to Bild am Sonntag, the units manufactured between 2012 and 2015 would be affected.

2018, first suspicions

The first suspicions about the alleged emissions manipulation by Daimler date back to the autumn of 2018. The German Federal Motor Transport Authority, known by its acronym KBA, was the first body to draw attention to the matter.

During routine tests, the German Federal Motor Transport Authority found that CO2 emissions were lower than usual during road driving.

According to the German Sunday newspaper, Daimler was unable to offer convincing explanations. They also point out that this was one of the reasons the country’s motor vehicle authority carried out a series of additional tests, which confirmed the existence of an “illegal defeat device” in the model analysed.

The German authority has confirmed that it has opened a formal consultation procedure over the suspected installation of an “illegal defeat device”.

Daimler is cooperating with the German Federal Motor Transport Authority

It is important to note that Daimler has begun cooperating with the German body in charge of analysing motor vehicles. The manufacturer is reviewing the tests to which the model was subjected and has rejected the accusations of possible emissions manipulation in the Mercedes-Benz GLK 220 CDI.

This is not the first time the German manufacturer has had to recall its models. In 2018, more than 700,000 units could have been affected for “being equipped with devices to manipulate pollutant gas emissions”.

Mercedes-Benz GLK