To minimize the impact of end-of life vehicles on the environment they have to be managed in accordance with the legal requirements. Against this background it is important to comprehend the whereabouts of permanently decommissioned passenger cars. From the available statistical sources it was only possible to account for the whereabouts in parts for the last years. The subject-matter of the research project was the closure of this ‘statistical gap’ to the maximum extent possible. The objectives of the project were the identification of the possible reasons underlying the ‘statistical gap’, the determination, itemisation and, to the maximum extent possible, quantification of information on the actual whereabouts of permanently decommissioned vehicles and the development of measures and instruments that can be used to permanently improve the data situation.