We love Volkswagen, but when will the company finally get its act together and stick to the straight and narrow? Probably long after we’ve retired from Volkswagen repair, that’s for sure. In October, European Union investigators raided the offices of Daimler and Volkswagen in an ongoing investigation of price fixing by Germany’s three major vehicle manufacturers — BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen. The investigators are looking into whether worked together to fix the prices of various vehicle equipment, including design aspects that help control emissions.
“Inspections are a preliminary step in investigations of suspected anti-competitive practices,” the regulators said in a statement. “The fact that the Commission carries out inspections does not mean that the inspected companies are guilty of anti-competitive behaviour, nor does it prejudge the outcome of the investigation itself. The Commission respects the rights of defence, in particular the right of companies to be heard, in antitrust proceedings.”
Following a Trail of Breadcrumbs
Daimler, whose brands include Mercedes-Benz, may have pointed investigators in the direction of BMW and Volkswagen.
“Last week, Daimler said it had offered to provide evidence about a suspected conspiracy to antitrust investigators in return for lower penalties,” the New York Times reported. “Last year, in connection with a cartel operated by truck manufacturers, the European Commission fined Daimler more than 1 billion euros, or $1.18 billion.”
