- The Justice Department has sued eBay for the sale of “rolling coal” devices.
- “Rolling coal” is the act of revving a truck engine to blow an obnoxious cloud of gas.
- The DOJ alleged in court documents that eBay could face a fine of $5,580 for each of the 343,000 devices it sold.
eBay could potentially face billions of dollars in fines as the Justice Department files a lawsuit against the company for the sale of devices that allow pickup trucks to emit large, obnoxious gas clouds.
The Department of Justice alleges that eBay enabled the sale of over 343,000 “defeat devices,” which are designed to cancel out vehicle emission controls and violate the Clean Air Act. According to the DOJ, defeat devices significantly increase pollution emissions, harming public health and impeding air quality standards.
The DOJ’s lawsuit states that each of the 343,000 transactions could subject eBay to a fine of $5,580. These defeat devices are typically used to enhance the performance of diesel vehicles but are often employed to equip trucks for “rolling coal,” a practice where the driver revs the engine to emit a thick cloud of gas from the tailpipe.
While only a few states have specific laws against “rolling coal,” incidents related to this practice have raised concerns. In Texas, a 16-year-old was charged with six felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly mowing down a group of cyclists while attempting to “roll coal” past them.
eBay has not yet responded to Insider’s request for comment on the lawsuit.
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