What happens to recalled diesel cars? Some end up in one of Volkswagen's giant resting grounds.
ADVERTISEMENTWhat resembles a giant car park in the middle of the desert in California is just one of Volkswagen's sprawling "graveyards".
It is filled to the brim with recalled cars after the German automaker suffered an emissions scandal in 2015.
Volkswagen AG has been storing around 300,000 vehicles in locations across the US after paying more than $7.4 billion (€6 billion) to buy back about 350,000 US diesel vehicles prior to mid-February, a recent court filing shows.
A VW spokeswoman said the vehicles were stored on an "interim basis" and were being "routinely maintained in a manner to ensure their long-term operability and quality".
"They may be returned to commerce or exported once US regulators approve appropriate emissions modifications," she added.
This desert location is just one of 37 carparks — others include a Detroit football stadium and a former Minnesota paper mill.
VW's buybacks will continue until the end of 2019, by which time it must have repurchased or fixed 85% of the polluting vehicles or face higher payments for emissions.
The company said it would soon hit this required figure, having fixed nearly 83% of vehicles concerned by mid-February.
It agreed to spend a total of $25 billion (€20.4 billion) in the US on claims from owners, environmental regulators, states and dealers.