VW, BMW, Daimler face EU probe over collusion

GERMANY’S beleaguered car industry faces another regulatory tangle, as the European Union opened a probe into Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW over suspected collusion that could have delayed cleanemissions technology for cars.

The investigation, which could lead to heavy fines, focuses on technical talks to develop selective catalytic reduction systems to reduce nitrogenoxides emissions from diesel cars and “Otto” particulate filters for gasoline engines.

“These technologies aim at making passenger cars less damaging to the environment,” EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in an emailed statement. “If proven, this collusion may have denied consumers the opportunity to buy less polluting cars, despite the technology being available to the manufacturers.”

Still, the EU said it had no indications the carmakers coordinated on illegal defeat devices to cheat regulatory testing -- a wider scandal that has tarnished the reputation of VW globally. The EU also said it didn’t have “sufficient indications” that talks on developing other technology -crash tests, car roof opening and cruise control speed -- were anticompetitive.

The probe represents another challenge for the German auto industry, which is grappling with the fallout from revelations in 2015 of VW’s diesel- cheating and the disruptive shift to selfdriving, electric cars.

Volkswagen has been cooperating with the European Commission.