As Emissions Scandal Widens, Diesel’s Future Looks Shaky in Europe<br />Diesel’s fuel economy also made it easier for BMW, Daimler<br />and Audi to achieve dominance in the luxury car market in Europe, where the cost of fuel is often four times the cost of gasoline in the United States.<br />A consumer rebellion against diesel — once the fuel of choice in Europe — is gathering momentum after the region’s antitrust authorities said this week<br />that they were looking into accusations that German carmakers secretly agreed to cut corners on pollution equipment.<br />On Saturday, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported<br />that for decades Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW had colluded to hold down the price of key technologies, including emissions equipment.<br />“In light of the diesel scandal, forbidden collusion creates a kind of super meltdown for the credibility of the German auto industry,”<br />Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, said in a statement.
