The European Commission has condemned the automakers Volkswagen and BMW for allegations of fair competition. Volkswagen has been fined 502 million euros (£ 432 million) while BMW is to pay 373 million euros (£ 321 million).
In a statement, the European Commission said: “All companies have admitted to participating in the cartel and have agreed to a settlement.”
The owner of Mercedes Daimler, who has also been the subject of charges, incurs no penalties.
The claims relate to Adblue tanks, which are used in the catalytic converters of some diesel cars.
Volkswagen and BMW could have faced considerably heavier penalties, with the European Commission being able to fine them up to 10% of annual sales, according to German news site Merkur.
He reports that BMW initially set aside 1.4 billion euros (£ 1.2 billion) in 2019 to deal with the allegations, but then dismissed this after some allegations were dropped.
Separately, the VZBV, Germany’s largest consumer protection group, filed a complaint against Daimler on Wednesday in Stuttgart.
He is seeking compensation for car owners caught in the diesel emissions scandal, when software was used to cheat emissions tests.
In a statement, VZBV director Klaus Mueller said: “Those who may have been affected will be assured that Daimler AG has deliberately installed illegal deactivation devices in several vehicle models.
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German politics are in flux with Chancellor Angela Merkel expected to step down later this year.
On Friday, she flew to Checkers for a final meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
After the trip, Germany announced it was opening travel to Britons who have received two coronavirus vaccines or have antibodies.
In a huge upheaval for the auto industry, in 2020 the government announced that the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned in the UK from 2020.
Ministers hope the UK will be at the forefront of the electric car revolution.
The only exemption will be for hybrids, which are powered by a mixture of electricity and fossil fuels.
Mr Johnson said the measure would be part of Britain’s “green industrial revolution”.
Last week Nissan announced plans to invest £ 1 billion to build a new electric car hub in Sunderland.
This will create 6,000 jobs and is expected to save the UK’s largest car factory.
According to The Guardian, the government has provided around £ 100million to support the movement.
Additional reporting by Monika Pallenberg.
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This notice was published: 2021-07-08 19:20:10
