Photos of a tampered BYD Megawatt Flash Charger circulating on Chinese social media platforms have sparked discussions and speculation. The images show a thick chain wrapped around both charging connectors and secured with a padlock, preventing customers from using the station without risking damage to their vehicles. Meanwhile, the charging station itself showed no signs of damage – the display was intact, and the LED indicated a green light to signal readiness for use.

While many on social networks suspect competing brands behind the act, a commercial conflict within the local charging infrastructure is considered a more plausible explanation. A significant portion of China’s charging network operates under franchise systems.

Given the extremely low margins per kilowatt-hour in the fast-charging sector – outside major cities, prices often range from just 1 to 1.5 yuan (approx. €0.13 to €0.20 euros) – operators attempt to generate revenue through advertising or additional services, such as charging insurance against damage during the charging process. BYD’s aggressive expansion with its own high-performance chargers significantly increases pressure on independent providers.

Even though the Flash Chargers provide the same charging speed for vehicles without this specific fast-charging technology as other DC chargers, many EV drivers in China prefer BYD’s stations due to their modern and user-friendly design. This diverts customers away from smaller, independent operators, even though they offer identical charging times.

The incident is part of a series of issues BYD has faced at its new Flash Charger locations. Recently, videos emerged showing children misusing the massive charging cables as swings.

In response, BYD announced plans to tighten management at these sites, with a focus on preventing misuse and avoiding blocked charging spots caused by internal combustion engine vehicles (“ICEing”) or non-charging vehicles. Users in China were urged to consistently report violators via the official traffic police app.

Chinese online communities are also intensely debating whether these incidents may have been staged by content creators, as images of locked or misused high-tech charging stations tend to generate high click rates.