South Korea Fines German Automakers
South Korea Fines German Automakers for Rigging Diesel Car Emissions
Hefty fines have been handed out to Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi (Volkswagen) in South Korea following the discovery that the German automakers colluded to rig diesel car emissions. The companies were found to have planned to intentionally restrain emissions-cleaning technology on their diesel-powered cars. Specifically, Korean officials reported finding that the automakers agreed to adopt a dual-mode selective catalytic reduction software system back in 2006 which reduced the amount of diesel exhaust fluid used to curb NOx emissions. South Korea’s antitrust regulator announced a total combined fine of 42.3 billion won ($33.48 million). According to an Epoch Times article, which quotes Shin Dong-yeol, head of the investigation for the KFTC, as saying: “The three carmakers had an agreement so that not a single company would make more eco-friendly (diesel) cars using a single-mode system.”
