Inquiry into the origins of the popular online video

In a recent development, a video taken on the premises of vehicle recycling company Retek in East Frisia has been circulating on social media since mid-July 2025. The footage shows older generations of the Audi A5 and A6 series being dismantled.

The video has sparked speculation about the price of used Audi A5 and A6 vehicles and whether the disposal of these cars might be influencing their price. However, a careful analysis of the price development for these models over the last 12 months reveals no unusual findings to support such a thesis.

Audi has confirmed that the dismantling of these vehicles is being carried out professionally and responsibly by a partner company, as part of a pilot project named "Audi reloaded". The aim is to refurbish these models to recover as many spare parts as possible.

The company states that the dismantling affected a low four-digit number of vehicles, and there is no regular dismantling of new vehicles. It is also important to note that the cars in question were not suitable for distribution in the target market due to transport damage or changed regulatory requirements.

Retek writes that these vehicles were dismantled by them due to the aforementioned issues. Audi did not specify whether the vehicles subject to different regulatory requirements referred to emission standards or other regulations.

The company involved in solving the recycling tasks for the old Audi models A5 and A6, as shown in the video, is Audi itself in cooperation with a trading partner in Aachen.

It is essential to clarify that the footage was taken secretly and against an explicit ban by Retek. The speculation that the price is being influenced by the scrapping of a few hundred or thousand vehicles is not credible, given the low number of vehicles affected and the steady decrease in used car prices over the past 12 months.

In 2024, Audi sold around 1.67 million vehicles worldwide, including 244,000 A6 models. The cars shown in the video were intended for countries in North America, Southeast Asia, or Eastern Europe.

Despite the controversy surrounding the video, Audi remains committed to its responsibility towards the environment and the proper disposal of its vehicles. The company continues to work towards finding innovative solutions for the refurbishment and recycling of its vehicles to minimise waste and promote sustainability.