The U.S. Justice Department has abandoned its antitrust investigation of four automakers that drew scrutiny for reaching a deal with California to clamp down on vehicle pollution. The investigation had targeted Ford Motor Co., Honda Motor Co., BMW and Volkswagen over the agreement they reached last year with California regulators. The Justice Department declined to comment. AdvertisementThe Justice Department raised concerns in August that the deal may violate antitrust statutes, and the automakers were sent civil investigative demands late last year. California officials had maintained that discussions with automakers over the emissions requirements were conducted individually, rather than with the entire group.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 07, 2020 22:17 UTC