Daimler AG

DaimlerChrysler has been criticized for failing to warn customers about the potential threat that car passenger-safety air bags posed to children and petite women. Air bags were patented in the 1950s, but industry concern about their danger and potential liabilities kept them out of cars for decades. Air bags were introduced and marketed in the late 1980s, but nothing was initially said of their potential dangers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that, as of May 1, 1999, air bags had killed 76 children and saved none. There is now a warning label in cars containing air bags. [www.motherjones.com/mustreads/061499.html Mother Jones, 06/14/1999]

DaimlerChrysler continued its long tradition of opposing fuel economy legislation through 2007, when it joined with other major auto manufacturers to oppose an energy bill that would require, among other changes, an increase of fuel economy standards from 25 to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The companies continue to fight against raising fuel economy standards in the United States, despite having already agreed to meet tougher European standards which stipulate cars must achieve 40 miles to the gallon. San Francisco Chronicle, 06/13/2007

According to a report on Superfunds by nonprofit investigative journalism organization, the Center for Public Integrity, DaimlerChrysler is a 'potentially responsible party' (PRP) in 50 Superfund sites across the country. A Superfund site is defined as a toxic waste site that falls under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program, which was enacted in 1980. Under the law, companies and other parties found responsible for polluting sites are required to clean up the area or pay the costs for cleanup to the EPA. Center for Public Integrity, 04/26/2007

The Union of Concerned Scientists, a "science-based nonprofit" working on environmental and safety issues, rated DaimlerChrysler as "Public Polluter #1" in its 2007 rankings of the environmental performaces of eight major automobile manufacturers, saying the company's small pickup trucks produce more smog than any class of vehicles from any other automaker. Union of Concerned Scientists, 04/03/2007

The state of California is seeking monetary compensation for the environmental damages caused by tailpipe emissions. The State’s Attorney General filed a lawsuit against General Motors, Toyota, Ford, Honda, Chrysler, and Nissan for damaging the state’s weather, economy, and public health. Attorney General Bill Lockyer, filing the suit, stated: “Vehicle emissions are the single most rapidly growing source of the carbon emissions contributing to global warming, yet the federal government and automakers have refused to act. It is time to hold these companies responsible for their contribution to this crisis.” Consumer Guide, 09/22/2006

Environmental Defense’s report entitled “Global Warming on the Road” sheds light on the role of automobiles in augmenting the problem of global warming. Automobiles emit roughly 10 percent of global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, the main form of greenhouse gas pollution. In 2004, CO2 emissions (MMTc), from the “Big Three”- GM, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler- were comparable to that from the nation’s 11 top electric companies. In that same year, DaimlerChrysler’s cars and light trucks emitted 51 carbon emissions (MMTc), which accounts for 16 percent of MMTc emitted by all automobile makers. Environmental Defense, 06/22/2006

Daimler AG lags far behind the other major auto manufacturers in the production of hybrid vehicles. Toyota and Honda, the companies with the most experience producing hybrid vehicles, have been joined in the market by hybrid efforts from Ford, GM and Nissan. Daimler AG, on the other hand, has no plans to produce a hybrid passenger vehicle in the United States until 2008, arguing that hybrids do not constitute a profitable venture with the current technology. Detroit Free Press, 05/26/2006

DaimlerChryser received a summary score of 43 out of 100 in a 2006 Ceres report examining companies' response to the issue of climate change. Ceres is a national network of environmental activists and investors working together to address climate change issues. While DaimlerChrysler has made incremental improvements in its fleet fuel efficiency, the company is only striving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10% from 2002 to 2012. CERES, 03/01/2006

In December 2005 DaimlerChrysler reached a $95 million settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice over defective emission controls on nearly 1.5 million Jeep and Dodge vehicles. State and Federal investigations raised questions over whether DaimlerChrysler violated the Clean Air Act by failing to disclose the defects. The monetary settlement clears DaimlerChrysler of these charges. AFX News Limited, 12/22/2005

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy(ACEEE), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering nationwide energy efficiency, listed the Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup and the Dodge Ram SRT10 on their 2005 “Meanest Vehicles” list, a ranking of the twelve most polluting vehicles of the year. ACEEE ranks vehicles based on tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption, and the emissions of gases that cause global warming.GreenBiz, 02/15/2005

In April 2002, former supervisors at a Chrysler plant in Kokomo, Indiana were fined and sentenced to home detention for ordering the dumping of industrial oil coolant into the city's sewer system. The supervisors, who plead guilty to violations of the Clean Water Act, directed workers in April 1997 to send thousands of gallons of the coolant through bypass lines into the city sewers. AP