The long-standing efforts of East Asian automakers to erase associations with low quality and compromise assembly are periodically tested by curious incidents. A recent example from the Chinese city of Shenyang has once again ignited discussions about the reliability of modern battery-powered vehicles. A video clip, quickly spread on social networks, captured how the BYD Tang crossover moves along a wet asphalt surface, while its rear electric motor drags behind the body, hanging only on its orange high-voltage cable.
The initial interpretations of the captured footage created the feeling of an absurd design error. Many observers were quick to blame the quality of workmanship, assuming that driving through shallow water of the order of two to five centimeters exerted enough hydrodynamic pressure to tear the component from its pads. Such a claim sounded difficult to defend for an SUV of similar size and claims, which naturally provoked a wave of dissatisfaction and skepticism among consumers.
BYD's quick reaction brought clarity to the real factors that led to the unusual defect. The giant's press service specified that the power unit did not fall victim to water contact, but to mechanical damage due to a violent impact on the lower part of the body. According to the official report, before filming the popular video, the driver forced a section of significantly deeper water, where an underfloor collision with a solid object, invisible to the camera, followed. Additional footage published by CarNewsChina confirms the version, clearly showing the broken off part of the drive module housing.
A technically curious detail in this situation is the fact that the specific BYD Tang is a fully electric modification with two independent motors. Even after the fundamental failure and the physical separation of the rear unit, the control electronics preserved the functionality of the front drive, allowing the vehicle to continue its journey.
Representatives of the company have already contacted the owner and have carried out a full technical inspection of the damage. The restoration of the crushed support points and the replacement of the torn-out electric motor will require serious financial resources, making insurance coverage the only lifeline for the driver after this costly incident.
Despite the official statement of the Chinese conglomerate, a number of independent observers and industry experts remain slightly reserved about the complete veracity of this version. Although a strong mechanical collision sounds like the most logical explanation for such massive damage, the question of how the structure allowed the rear electric motor to detach so easily and be held only by a power cable, without activating automatic safety protections, raises reasonable doubts. For skeptics, the case remains open whether the structural supports of the subframe did not show hidden vulnerability under pressure – a detail that automakers traditionally prefer to spare the general public during such media storms.