Hino used altered emissions test data to get approval to import and sell more than 110,000 diesel engines to the US, most of which were installed in heavy-duty trucks made by Hino, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
As part of the deal, Hino will plead guilty to engaging in a criminal conspiracy to mislead regulators and consumers, violating environmental protection laws and endangering public health, US attorney general Merrick Garland said in a release.
US regulators and the state of California, which has strict vehicle emission standards, worked out criminal and civil remedies with Hino valued at more than $1.6 billion.
“Hino’s actions directly undermined EPA’s program to protect the public from air pollution,” acting EPA administrator Jane Nishida said in a release.
The proposed settlement is contingent on approval from a US district court judge in the state of Michigan.
“Corporate crimes such as these endanger the health and well-being of innocent Americans, as well as the environment in which we all live,” said US attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Dawn Ison.
The deal includes a five-year term of probation during which Hino will be barred from importing diesel engines it has manufactured into the United States and implement a comprehensive compliance and ethics program, according to the EPA.
Hino will also have to recall some trucks with engines violating emissions standards and spend some $155 million to replace marine and locomotive engines through the US to offset excess air emissions, according to the EPA.
© 2025 AFP
