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Analysts wary over FCA lawsuit but say emissions not as bad as VW

MILAN - Any potential fines Fiat Chrysler (FCA) may need to pay to settle a US civil lawsuit over diesel emissions will unlikely top $1 billion, analysts said, adding the case appeared less serious than at larger rival Volkswagen. The US government filed a civil lawsuit on Tuesday accusing FCA of illegally using software to bypass emission controls in 104,000 vehicles sold since 2014, which it said led to higher than allowable levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx) that are blamed for respiratory illnesses. FCA's shares dropped 16 percent in January when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first raised the accusations, adding the carmaker could face a maximum fine of about $4.6 billion. The stock has been under pressure since. Volkswagen agreed to spend up to $25 billion in the United States to address claims from owners, environmental regulators, U.S. states and dealers. FCA, which sits on net debt of 5.1 billion euros ($5.70 billion), lacks VW's cash pile but analysts said its case looked much less severe. While VW admitted to intentionally cheating, Fiat Chrysler denies any wrongdoing. Authorities will have to prove that FCA's software constitutes a so-called "defeat device" and that it was fitted in the vehicles purposefully to bypass emission controls. Even if found guilty, the number of FCA vehicles targeted by the lawsuit is less than a fifth of those in the VW case. Applying calculations used in the German settlement, analysts estimate potential civil and criminal charges for Fiat Chrysler of around $800 million at most. Barclays has already cut its target price on the stock to take such a figure into account. Analysts also noted that FCA's vehicles are equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems for cutting NOx emissions, so it is likely that any problem could be fixed through a software update. "Should this be the case, we estimate a total cost per vehicle of not more than around $100, i.e. around $10 million in aggregate," Evercore ISI analyst George Galliers said in a note. The estimates exclude any additional investments FCA may be asked to make in zero emissions vehicles infrastructure and awareness as was the case with VW. FCA said last week it would update the software in the vehicles in question, hoping it would alleviate the regulators' concern, but analysts said it may have been too little too late. The carmaker is also facing accusations over its diesel emissions in Europe.

Watch as U.S. auto industry springs back to life after lockdown

WARREN, Michigan — The Detroit Three automakers and their suppliers began restarting assembly lines on Monday after a two-month coronavirus lockdown in a slow revival of a sector that employs nearly 1 million people in the United States. On a chilly and damp Monday morning, hundreds of workers at Fiat Chrysler Automobile's (FCA) truck plant in Warren, Michigan, began lining up before 4 a.m. to start the 5 a.m. shift. Signs overhead read: "Let's restart." "I'm a little nervous," said Larry Smith, 53, of New Baltimore, who works on wheel alignment away from the assembly line. "They made all the precautions (and) they've done everything they can to prepare us ... I'm trusting in God." Detroit automakers on Monday said there were no issues with absenteeism as the plants opened. FCA reopened four U.S. assembly plants on Monday, including Warren Truck, on a single shift, as well as four parts plants. The reopening of car plants will be a closely watched test of whether workers across a range of U.S. industries can return to factories in large numbers without a resurgence of infections. General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co and FCA have all been preparing for weeks to reopen their North American factories in a push to restart work in an industry that accounts for about 6% of U.S. economic activity. Investors welcomed the gradual restart, sending GM's shares up more than 9% on Monday. FCA shares rose 7.3%, while Ford's were up 6.7%. Auto companies have redesigned assembly lines and retrained workers in an effort to avoid coronavirus outbreaks that could derail production again. Workers entering factories on Monday were checked by temperature monitors. Face masks or shields are standard protective equipment. Jobs such as installing seat belts that used to require two or more workers to get close together inside a vehicle have been redesigned to keep people a safe distance apart. Plastic screens have been installed along assembly lines to separate workers leaning in to the engine compartments of vehicles. Break areas have been reconfigured to keep workers six feet apart. The Detroit automakers have collaborated with each other and with the United Auto Workers to develop common coronavirus safety practices. Other automakers in the United States are adopting similar safety measures.

2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Long-Term Update | Winter vacation

DESTIN, Fla. — You know you want a minivan. Wait, you say. That's not me. I'm not old enough. Or I don't have that many kids. Or ... No. You want a minivan. And after multiple family vacations and weekends in Autoblog's long-term 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, I'm happy to explain why. Let's break it down. — The functionality is off-the-charts. From the multiple ways you can open and close the doors to the sheer volume of stuff you can load into them, minivans are leaders in user experience. — The cargo volume is immense and usable. We were able to simply pack up our lives and go to Destin, Fla., for a week on the Gulf. Two adults and a 1-year-old had plenty of space and creature comforts for the drive from Michigan. We moved the passenger seat forward so there was a mini pod in the second row where my wife and baby spent most of the time. During a brief spell from driving, I nestled back there for a bit, sipping coffee and playing cards on the seat-mounted entertainment screen. — In back, our manifest was prodigious. A cooler. A beach blanket. Beach chairs. Three large suitcases. A Pack 'n Play. A baby chair. Food. Boxes of wipes and diapers. A stroller. Beer and wine. Jellycat. Way more things that I've forgotten. It was also the maiden voyage for our Britax Boulevard ClickTight carseat, which fit securely. Installing a carseat easily is one of life's simple joys. The 2018 Pacifica Hybrid lists 197.3 cubic feet of cargo volume, and we used most of it. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. — We did have some space left over, which was actually more impressive to me. When three people can drive across the country with everything they need for a week and then wonder what else they maybe should bring, that speaks volumes (I know) to the usability of the cargo volume. On an earlier trip to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, we took all of this stuff plus a golden retriever, her crate, her food and camping gear. And still had room left over. — The Pacifica has a 24.3-inch lift-over height, which means it's easy to load. You can put the seats down and still reach far into the cargo hold. That's the beauty of minivans. Our family has a three-row SUV that you have to stretch to load and unload. We thought we wanted an SUV. We didn't realize we actually wanted a minivan. — And therein lies the inherent beauty of minivans.