WOLFSBURG, Germany — The latest victims of noxious diesel fumes may be the fuel technology itself.

A consumer rebellion against diesel — once the fuel of choice in Europe — is gathering momentum after the region’s antitrust authorities said this week that they were looking into accusations that German carmakers secretly agreed to cut corners on pollution equipment.

A swell of forces that started with the Volkswagen emissions scandal is now engulfing the industry, putting the future of diesel in doubt and, with it, a technology crucial to European automaking. Public opinion is turning as consumers become aware of the health hazards. Sales of diesel vehicles are in free fall. Cities are contemplating outright bans. And government scrutiny is building, with elected officials realizing that diesel has become a political liability.

“The tide has been turning against diesel for some time,” said Peter Wells, a professor at Cardiff Business School in Wales who follows the auto industry. “This will make matters even worse.”

For carmakers, diesel is not just another option that has gone out of style, like tape players or fog lights. Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and others spent decades persuading European buyers that diesel was not only more economical than gasoline, but also more environmentally friendly.