Featured Image Credit: Reddit
Topics: Cars, Environment, US News, Business, Reddit
Joe Yates
An aerial picture depicting thousands of Audis sitting abandoned in a desert has resurfaced online, and with it so too has the $36 billion scandal involved with their placement.
"What’s anyone really using the desert for anyway," jokes one person on Reddit, after it the image was shared on the platform.
While another quipped: "This is much better for the environment."
Yes, it certainly is. Obviously, the first reason being the less cars driving around the less carbon emissions released into Earth's atmosphere, with the second relating to the actual reason why these motors find themselves dormant in the desert.
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Ladies and gentlemen, I remind you of 'Dieselgate' - which refers to Volkswagen's emissions scandal that started back in 2015, when the US Environmental Protection Agency uncovered that the car manufacturer had installed 'defeat devices' to trick the system.
It was installed in their diesel vehicles, which included a number of Volkswagen's including Golf's manufactured between 2010 and 2015, as well as a host of Audi models, and the Porsche Cayenne - with Volkswagen owning both brands.
It meant that when the engines were tested, it would pass as producing safe measures of nitrogen oxide complying with US regulations.
It came about after the company admitted around 11 million cars worldwide were fitted with defeat device software, which as just mentioned tricks laboratory tests into recording lower levels of toxic emissions than in real world conditions.
However, when the disgraced car manufacturer was caught out, it faced harsh fines and court settlements - with the German carmaker claiming the scandal cost the business $34.69 billion.
The cars were then exiled from US markets, and those manufactured in California were dumped in the Mojave Desert - with thousands of Audis, Volkswagens and Porsches pictured lining the dessert.
Fortunately, the cars were then retrofitted with the proper equipment.
In a statement issued by Volkswagen about the Victorville, California, storage facility, spokesperson Jeannine Ginivan said that it was being used 'to ensure the responsible storage of vehicles that are bought back' under terms of the Volkswagen diesel settlement agreed by the US Government.
"These vehicles are being stored on an interim basis and routinely maintained in a manner to ensure their long-term operability and quality, so that they may be returned to commerce or exported once US regulators approve appropriate emissions modifications,” she said at the time.
Who on Earth approves these things, how have they not learnt that they'll be caught out by now!