Automaker accused of dumping tens of thousands of brand new, electric cars | Car

Video images allegedly originating in China show huge parking lots with many thousands of almost new electric cars from the relatively young car brand BYD, which has also been for sale in the Netherlands since last year. The vehicles are apparently rotting away in the parking lots. There are tens of thousands of BYD e3s in one of the areas shown alone. Other images also show cars from other Chinese manufacturers, such as the Geely Kandi K10 EV and the Neta V. These cars are parked in one of the districts of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province in eastern China.

According to the well-known YouTube channel Serpentza (with more than 1.3 million subscribers), the video images with drones were actually made in China. In the nearly ten-minute video the maker explains that the majority of parked vehicles have less than 50 kilometers on the odometer. The remarkable thing is that all electric cars have a number plate. That would mean they are registered with the government as sold. So this would not be a factory stock waiting to be delivered to buyers. The fact that the chairs are covered with plastic wrap would indicate that they actually have no owner.

According to the German opinion magazine Focus Chinese automakers receive subsidies based on the sales numbers of their cars. Therefore, they would like to manipulate the sales statistics with this kind of practice. The vehicles are recorded as sold, but in fact they are fake sales that count in the sales statistics.

Subsequently, the ‘sold’ vehicles end up without owners in the huge parking lots, where they are exposed to the elements of nature. The video images show, for example, how the paint has already become completely dull due to dust and dirt and blades of grass shoot up along the tires.

If it is true, the problem of the fields with tens of thousands of cars rotting away does not seem to be easy to solve. Because as long as money flows, there will also be production. These practices have a huge impact on people and the climate. Because the batteries of electric cars require rare materials such as lithium, which are often mined under poor conditions by miners.

An interesting detail is that BYD likes to profile itself as a car manufacturer that helps to combat climate change. BYD is the largest manufacturer of electric vehicles in the world and has sales targets that – according to BYD – could reduce the global temperature by one degree. Spokesman Mike Belinfante of BYD Europe tells this site that the claims that have been circulating on the internet in recent days are incorrect. “BYD has a hard time arming itself against these kinds of videos. All they can say is: ‘It’s simply not true.’” Belinfante: ,,According to BYD, the images are fake. They also look a bit strange.”

The creator of the video documentary on YouTube is Winston Frederick Sterzel. He is a South African vlogger who lived in China for many years, but is now based in California. His wife is of Chinese descent. Sterzel is not undisputed. He is regularly accused on social media of looking at Chinese culture from a Western perspective and mainly trying to present a negative image of China to his viewers. On the other hand, Sterzel has many fans who appreciate how he gives a revealing insight into Chinese life.