VW, Daimler and BMW in crosshairs
The car manufacturers VW, Daimler and BMW have been making illegal agreements about exhaust gas cleaning for years. This has now been confirmed by the EU competition authorities. According to the agreement, more environmentally friendly technologies were not offered for sale despite their availability. Specifically, the agreements are said to have concerned AdBlue tanks, the size of which the manufacturers had agreed among themselves. Particle filters in Otto engines were also deliberately not installed. This would reduce fine dust emissions.
The accusations of the agreement are based on research by the news magazine Spiegel. If the situation is not clarified after the companies’ statement, car manufacturers will be fined billions of euros.
Come Daimler and Volkswagen off it?
According to the Handelsblatt, a so-called non-public complaint notice has already been sent to VW, Daimler and BMW. It contains the results of the investigation. These have been running for about six months. In the course of the proceedings, employees of Daimler and Volkswagen are said to have testified as principal witnesses and can hope for impunity.
In a next step, the companies can now comment on the allegations before a decision is made by the EU Commission. So far, however, the Commission has held back on making statements. VW and Daimler have also remained silent so far.
Only a spokesman for the Bavarian manufacturer BMW said that employees of the companies had exchanged information. The aim is to reduce fine dust emissions. However, he also emphasized that it was not the intention to prevent progress.