Department of Justice Launches Investigation

Sept. 9, 2019
The Department of Justice has launched an antitrust investigation into BMW, Ford, Honda and Volkswagen.

Sept. 9, 2019—The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an antitrust investigation over automakers agreement to honor voluntary emissions regulations with the state of California, reported Reuters.

The investigation covers BMW, Ford, Honda and Volkswagen.

The DOJ probe seeks to learn if the four automakers broke federal antitrust laws by agreeing with one another to follow emissions standards outside of the proposed regulations from the Trump administration.

According to the report, the DOJ is operating on its own accord with no direction from the White House on the matter. 

A recent agreement declared each automaker will improve fuel economy to nearly 50 miles per gallon by 2026. Until the Trump administration reveals official figures, automakers must ensure cars return 54.5 mpg by 2025.