German car makers face EU scrutiny
Vehicle emissions have been a popular topic in recent times, following VW’s admission to falsifying test results. Having faced the wrath of the US government, they found themselves having to pay-out around US $25 billion in legal settlements, along with having to buy-back a decade’s worth of models which failed basic emission targets.
The fallout of this has been felt across the motor industry, as more brands face greater scrutiny with consumers and law makers feeling the industry has had too much autonomy. Through this increased surveillance, the German brands Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW are to face an EU inquiry for allegedly attempting to restrict diesel emissions treatment systems collectively.
A raid conducted in 2017 has yielded evidence that suggests the brands aimed to limit the development of systems designed to reduce harmful emissions. If this can be proven, it would mean they denied consumes the option to buy less-polluting cars. If guilty, the brands could face severe penalties and the possibility of multiple consumers claims.
The systems in question are the Otto particulate filter, which is used to reduce the emissions of petrol-powered cars, and the selective catalytic reduction system which limits the levels of nitrogen oxide produced through diesel engines.
All the companies involved will want to limit the press surrounding the matter, as the German auto industry looks to improve the image of its new eco engines. With full co-operation from all parties involved, the results should be out soon.
