Couple weeks back VW Group agreed to pay a $10,000,000,000+ penalty for selling a bit less than 500,000 vehicles with “cheat devices’ that allowed excessive NOx emissions. Today HOG(NYSE), better known as “Harley”, got a paltry $12,000,000 slap on the wrist for selling 340,000 “cheat devices” and 12,000 uncertified bikes that didn’t even pretend to meet emissions standards.
So VW is getting hit for upwards of $20,000 a vehicle, while Harley is getting off for less than $40 a vehicle… I’m all for supporting American manufacturing, but this is a bit much! ‘Specially when you figure in that VW made low single digit profits on most of those cars, while HOG(NYSE) was making 30% or so profit margins on bikes that often sold for more than new VW cars.
VW, I think EPA just gave you grounds for an appeal…
GearheadGrrrl 
I haven’t read the details of the case but i imagine
1) The NOx controls on a motorcycle running gas are a lot lower then a diesel.
2) A motorcycle has a much lower duty cycle then a sedan. Most people (Not you) only drive motorcycles for fun/recreation…
3) Maybe Harley didn’t double down and accuse the EPA of incompetence? VW accused everyone of incompetence and corruption before folding their cards…
Actually, HOG(NYSE)’s violation was probably more severe, causing the 350,000 or so affected vehicles to probably be out of compliance on just about every emission regulated. Given that motorcycles have to meet lower emissions standards to start with, HOG(NYSE)’s violations despite the limited mileage their products are capable of may have done more harm to the environment in the U.S. than VW’s.
Hard to say… Did EPA give a justification memo?
No, just the usual “we’re saving the environment from these evil polluters” boilerplate.
That’s a press release, but in the complaint file, there is usually more.