BRUSSELS, Belgium: Major automakers, including Volkswagen, Stellantis, and Renault-Nissan, were hit with hefty fines this week after European regulators uncovered a long-running cartel aimed at limiting competition in vehicle recycling practices.

The European Commission announced that 15 car manufacturers and their industry group, ACEA, colluded over 15 years to suppress competition related to end-of-life vehicle recycling — resulting in total penalties of 458 million euros (US$495 million).

The cartel operated between May 2002 and September 2017, during which time companies coordinated their approach to recycling obligations, including limiting transparency about the amount of recycled material used in new cars and avoiding advertising greener practices.

The Commission stated that the companies also agreed not to pay vehicle dismantlers for disposing of old cars, despite EU laws requiring manufacturers to cover these costs to ensure that car owners could dispose of their vehicles free of charge.

"We will not tolerate cartels of any kind, and that includes those that suppress customer awareness and demand for more environmentally friendly products," said EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera in a statement.

Volkswagen received the largest fine of 127.69 million euros, followed by Stellantis at 99.5 million euros, Renault-Nissan at 81.46 million euros, and Ford at 41.46 million euros. Other carmakers penalized include Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, GM, Suzuki, and Volvo.

ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, was also fined 500,000 euros for facilitating meetings between the companies involved.

Mercedes-Benz avoided a financial penalty altogether by being the first to report the cartel to the European Commission.

All companies admitted to participating in the cartel, qualifying them for a 10% reduction in their fines.

Stellantis acknowledged the EU's decision and noted that it had cooperated throughout the investigation. "Provisions had already been made against the fine and are reflected in the company's 2024 full-year results," the company said in a statement.