Elon Musk once scoffed at the notion that BYD could compete with his company. Now, the automaker run by billionaire Wang Chuanfu is poised to be the new No. 1 in electric vehicles.
According to MSB data, there are nearly 611,000 EVs and hybrids in Sweden as of 2022. With an average of 16 EV and hybrid fires per year, there's a 1 in 38,000 chance of fire. There are a total of roughly 4.4 million gas- and diesel-powered passenger vehicles in Sweden, with an average of 3,384 fires per year, for a 1 in 1,300 chance of fire. That means gas- and diesel-powered passenger vehicles are 29 times more likely to catch fire than EVs and hybrids.
Tesla, being the largest EV brand, is included in this statistic.
I'm not sure what you're trying to say here. I'm trying to push back against anti-EV sentiment, which necessarily involves pushing against the idea that Teslas randomly explode just because they feel like it. You can't just say that Teslas are special creatures that randomly explode without painting EVs in general with the same brush, because there's really nothing special about Tesla powertrains. Whenever you drive a gasoline car, keep in mind that you are carrying around 40+ litres of highly flammable, explosive, and reactive liquid in a tin can mounted at the bottom of the vehicle. Gasoline cars literally explode after catching on fire. Claiming that Teslas (and thus EVs as a whole) are dangerous matchboxes is carrying water for the oil and gas industry.
I am not trying to defend Tesla as a brand or claim that they make good vehicles. I personally would not buy a Tesla or recommend one to a friend. However, it's objectively incorrect to claim that Teslas are more likely to combust and explode than gasoline vehicles.
To answer your original question about BYD, BYD has been doing battery tech for 28 years now. They're more of a battery company than a car company. I think it's safe to say that they have the expertise and experience to make safe electric vehicles.
From the MotorTrend article:
Tesla, being the largest EV brand, is included in this statistic.
that may be true but most vehicles don't turn into volcanos when they do fail, Teslas do
I'm not sure what you're trying to say here. I'm trying to push back against anti-EV sentiment, which necessarily involves pushing against the idea that Teslas randomly explode just because they feel like it. You can't just say that Teslas are special creatures that randomly explode without painting EVs in general with the same brush, because there's really nothing special about Tesla powertrains. Whenever you drive a gasoline car, keep in mind that you are carrying around 40+ litres of highly flammable, explosive, and reactive liquid in a tin can mounted at the bottom of the vehicle. Gasoline cars literally explode after catching on fire. Claiming that Teslas (and thus EVs as a whole) are dangerous matchboxes is carrying water for the oil and gas industry.
I am not trying to defend Tesla as a brand or claim that they make good vehicles. I personally would not buy a Tesla or recommend one to a friend. However, it's objectively incorrect to claim that Teslas are more likely to combust and explode than gasoline vehicles.
To answer your original question about BYD, BYD has been doing battery tech for 28 years now. They're more of a battery company than a car company. I think it's safe to say that they have the expertise and experience to make safe electric vehicles.