BYD driver is called out by petrol car owners

A photo of an electric vehicle charging another EV after it became stranded on the roadside has been called out by petrol drivers.

The image, posted to Reddit on Monday, shows two EV vehicles parked behind each other on the side of a highway in rural Australia. 

A charging cable from each of the EVs had been joined together by what appears to be an extension cord in the middle of the two vehicles. 

'Today I learned if your Build Your Dreams EV runs out of battery you can recharge with another one for a few hours on the side of the road,' the poster wrote. 

BYD Auto, less commonly known as Build Your Dreams, is one of China's largest producers of electric cars and was launched in Australia in late 2021.

The photo quickly sparked debate among petrol drivers, with many declaring that it put them off buying an electric car.

'Just keep a diesel generator in the boot and you don't need the other car,' one said. 

'Like siphoning petrol from one car to another,' a second commented. 

'That's cool but also, and I'm no electrician, this doesn't look safe,' a third wrote. 

'Oh, how convenient. Just a few hours wasted for you AND someone else. Another reason to avoid EVs altogether,' a fourth shared. 

'Only buy an EV if you have lots of spare time,' another joked.

A fourth said: 'Could've got the thing towed in half the time. Wouldn't want to run out on the way to work.' 

Another declared: 'I'm no safety nut but how about putting all the leads on the other side of the cars away from other cars,' one said. 

A sixth added: 'The rest of us just fill up at the servo, including donuts, and don't run out, because there's another servo coming up.'

Despite being criticised by many petrol car drivers, more Australians are making the switch to electric vehicles with 95,289 sold in the year to June 30, 2024.

EV manufacturer Tesla soared in popularity and topped the list for most sales among motorists, followed by BYD.