Geely also owns the British sports activities car maker Lotus and the corporate that makes London taxicabs, whereas its chairman, Li Shufu, owns about 10 {0995643d07225b844baadbc1e6b0d2b8ea73bc2bd98af3cca8b20a61a6b88544} of Daimler, the maker of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The potential fines had been one of the reasons that Fiat Chrysler sought a merger with Renault, which already has a longtime (if these days troubled) alliance with the Japanese carmaker Nissan. The French firm provides battery-powered vehicles, just like the subcompact Zoe, that would have made it easier for Fiat to hit the emissions targets. The inside combustion engine is under assault from electric challengers.

European …