Now BMW is raided over ‘emissions plot’

BMW has been raided by investigators probing claims German car makers secretly plotted to dodge diesel emission rules.

The raid could see the prestige company dragged deeper into a row already engulfing its rival Volkswagen, and follows claims that a cartel operated at the highest level of the industry for decades.

Companies found to have broken the rules face multibillion-pound fines and could even be forced into a mass recall of vehicles.

VW, Audi, Porsche, BMW and Daimler are said to have been colluding since the 1990s, agreeing secret rules to stifle competition and keep costs down at the expense of consumers.

They are alleged to have agreed to install smaller than necessary tanks for a liquid known as AdBlue, which treats toxic diesel exhaust fumes.

This was so they could save space for golf bags or profitable upgrades such as speaker systems, according to German newspaper Der Spiegel.

If true, it means millions of drivers and passengers were exposed to dangerous pollution so that big German companies could maximise their profits.

The scandal has dealt huge damage to VW, which in 2015 was accused of installing secret software to cheat tests designed to uncover toxic emissions from its cars.

It has cost the business tens of billions of pounds and affected 1.2million of its UK cars.

BMW confirmed the raid by competition authorities at the European Commission but staunchly denied trying to beat emissions tests.

The commission said its officials had ‘carried out an unannounced inspection at the premises of a car manufacturer in Germany’.

The inspection was related to ‘concerns that several German car manufacturers may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices’.

In July, BMW denied any collusion with competitors on diesel emissions, saying none of its models had been ‘manipulated’ or violated industry regulations.

In a separate cartel scandal, Daimler was fined £900million by Brussels last summer for fixing lorry prices with rivals.

‘An unannounced inspection’