BYD driver is called out by petrol car owners

A photo of an electric vehicle charging another electric vehicle after it was stranded on the roadside has been criticised by petrol drivers.

The image, posted to Reddit on Monday, shows two electric vehicles parked behind each other along a highway in rural Australia.

In the middle of both electric vehicles was a charging cable that appeared to be connected by an extension cord.

“Today I learned that if your Build Your Dreams EV runs out of battery, you can charge it on the side of the road for a few hours using another battery,” the poster read.

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

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

“Just leave a diesel generator in the trunk and you won’t need the other car,” someone said.

“It’s like siphoning gas from one car to another,” a second commented.

“That’s cool but I’m not an electrician this doesn’t look safe,” wrote a third.

‘Oh how convenient. Just a few hours wasted for you AND someone else. Another reason to avoid electric vehicles altogether,’ shared a fourth.

“Only buy an electric car if you have a lot of free time,” joked another.

A fourth said: ‘Could have towed the thing away in half the time. Wouldn’t want to be stuck without it on my way to work.’

Another said: ‘I’m not a safety fanatic, but how about running all the cables on the other side of the cars, away from other cars?’

A sixth added: ‘The rest of us just fill up at the petrol station, donuts included, and make sure we don’t run out because there’s another petrol station coming up.’

Despite criticism from many petrol-driven drivers, more Australians are switching to electric vehicles, with 95,289 sold in the year to 30 June 2024.

The popularity of electric cars, Tesla, soared and topped the list of most sold among motorists, followed by BYD.