DUH, a German environmental group, stated that initial tests on Mercedes diesel vehicles have exceeded the legal limits set by the European Union. The tests were conducted on nitrogen oxide emissions, and would be a major blow to automaker Daimler (ETR:DAI).
The company quickly responded, stating that the tests were “questionable,” and threatened legal action against the group for the false claims.
The group stated that the tests were conducted by the University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland and were performed on a 2011 model. Tests showed that the nitrogen oxide levels reached two times the legal limit during the test. Daimler quickly stated that the results are questionable due to no release on how the tests were conducted.
The environmental group has also made claims against General Motors (NYSE:GM) that their Opel line-up of vehicles had excessive emissions.
This isn’t the first time that DUH has made claims against Daimler. The group also made claims in September that the company rigged their emissions data to pass government regulations. Further tests would need to be conducted in a more controlled environment to determine if the group’s accusations were valid.
Daimler’s stock has not been affected following the accusations, with the company’s stock up 1.15% on the day to trade at €76.37 a share.
