Car Cartel Case Could Be Long and Winding Probe: QuickTake Q&A

German carmakers’ shares have dropped on reports they’re being probed by European Union and German antitrust regulators for colluding on technology for more than two decades. Volkswagen AG, BMW AG and Daimler AG worked together on a wide range of technology including discussing the size of tanks for AdBlue, a liquid that purges diesel fuel of exhaust emissions, according to Der Spiegel. BMW has denied the charges, while the other car companies have declined to comment.

The allegation is that discussions between the car rivals dating back to the 1990s that were supposedly forums for thrashing out technical standards turned into sessions for fixing prices. More than 200 carmaker employees participated in 60 working groups in areas including auto development, gasoline and diesel motors, brakes and transmissions, Der Spiegel said. Daimler chose to avoid “especially problematic” meetings with competitors after revelations of a truck cartel in 2011, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.