Automotive provider Bosch has agreed to pay a 90 million euros ($100.21 million) fine for lapses in supervisory duties that allowed automakers to engage in emissions cheating, German prosecutors in the city of Stuttgart stated on Friday.
The auto industry’s diesel emissions cheating scandal, where automakers utilized engine management control software to throttle back real-world pollution levels throughout tests, was made possible with the assistance of Bosch technology, prosecutors stated.
Privately-held Bosch, the biggest automotive supplier of the world, provided around 17 million technical devices geared up with engine management software, prosecutors stated.
Bosch has accepted the charges and is not going to appeal the decision, they added.
Prosecutors imposed a 2 million euros fine concerning “regulatory offense” and an additional 88 million euros to penalize “economic benefits,” Bosch stated.
Bosch stated, “With the issue of the notice of fine, the investigations conducted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Stuttgart against Bosch as a provider of engine control units for diesel engines has been finished.”
Volkswagen used Bosch software elements to assist the automaker mask illegal pollution in diesel-engined vehicles. Engine management software was utilized for measuring the steering wheel angle to gauge whether the car was on a test bench.
Volkswagen has borne the brunt of charges and penalties for emissions cheating since automakers, instead of suppliers are responsible for certifying that vehicles meet clean air rules.
