Big-Bike Manufacturer Harley Davidson Will Avoid Paying $3 Million to Recall and Replace Parts After Emissions Scandal
Harley Davison is known to the world as a company that produces giant monster bikes that are loud enough to set off car alarms when they fly past. But as of 2016, they have been in some deep water revolving around the amount of emissions these machines generate when living up to the loud and proud name. They were forced to pay a $12 million fine back in 2016 after news surfaced they were selling aftermarket parts that cause the bikes to emit a level of pollution higher than what they advertised.
The result of this whole ordeal (after the fine, of course) was that Harley would have to set aside approximately $3 million to pay for the replacement parts for individuals who bought these “illegal aftermarket parts” to revert them back to stock so the emission levels would return to what is advertised by their company.
In 2017, Jeff Sessions of the US Justice Department enacted a new policy that led to the review of the initial case. After four years in court, the US judge favoured Harley Davidson, and the 3 million was no longer required to be used for retrofitting the bikes in question.
“Containing the mitigation project might have been the ‘best’ resolution of Harley-Davidson’s alleged violations, the court cannot say that the decree lodged before the Court is not within ‘the reaches of the public interest”, said District Judge Emmet Sullivan.
Since this began, Harley has shifted to a more conscious approach to environmental concerns and has begun selling their larger electric bike, the Harley Davidson Livewire.