According to the European Commission, Daimler, BMW, VW, Audi, and Porsche avoided competing on technology to restrict pollution from petrol and diesel passenger cars.
Daimler was not fined after it revealed the cartel to the European Commission. Meanwhile, all parties acknowledged their involvement in the cartel and agreed to settle the case.
EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said that even though the companies had the technology to cut harmful emissions beyond legal limits, all parties concerned avoided competing and denied consumers the chance to buy less polluting cars.
The Commission said their decision to find the manufacturers was about how legitimate technical cooperation went wrong, stating that the entity does not tolerate collusion between companies.
“It is illegal under EU antitrust rules,” Vestager said. “Competition and innovation on managing car pollution are essential for Europe to meet our ambitious Green Deal objectives. And this...