This case concerns the manufacture, importation and sale by Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (Suzuki) of model year 2012 motorcycles that failed to meet the EPA average emission standard. Suzuki is an American corporation that imports and distributes into the United States highway motorcycles and other vehicles from Suzuki Motor Corporation, a Japanese corporation.
Suzuki chose to use emission averaging regulations to certify multiple engine families for sale in model year 2012, but the average emissions level for the motorcycles did not comply with the hydrocarbons plus nitrogen oxides emissions standard. Suzuki submitted falsified production reports based on incorrect motorcycle production volumes to demonstrate compliance with the emission standard.
EPA will void the certificate of conformity for the 1,599 most-polluting motorcycles in the fleet to restore the averaging balance to allow the remaining engine families to meet the emissions standard. The Clean Air Act requires engine manufacturers to obtain a certificate of conformity issued by EPA demonstrating compliance with applicable emission standards before introducing an engine into commerce. Certificates of conformity cover only those engines produced within a single model year. The companies will implement changes to corporate procedures to improve how they manage and report information to EPA.
EPA estimates that the motorcycle fleet contributed to excess emissions of over 36 metric tons of hydrocarbons and nitroge