Video: Massive fire erupts at Chinese auto maker BYD, EV batteries ruled out as cause

In an alarming scene, a building owned by Chinese EV giant BYD can be seen going up in flames in a viral video.

In the early morning hours of April 14, a BYD vehicle garage in Shenzhen Park was engulfed in flames, leading to intense smoke plumes and videos of the blaze circulating on social media.

JUST IN: 🇨🇳 Fire engulfs parking garage at Chinese EV giant BYD site in Shenzhen. pic.twitter.com/M4Ij8hN3X6

— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) April 14, 2026

According to the Shenzhen Pingshan District Fire Rescue Bureau, no people were harmed, and there were no casualties. Yet, due to the thick smoke, a school was temporarily closed and traffic in the nearby area was restricted.

BYD released a statement after the fire was extinguished, reading: "A stereo garage in our Pingshan Park caught fire. This garage is a dedicated area for test and scrapped vehicles."

While electric vehicles statistically catch fire much less often than gas-powered cars, due to their batteries, EV fires can burn more intensely and can be more difficult to extinguish. However, initial investigations into the incident found that EV batteries were not the cause of the fire, per news site EV, though they likely contributed to the size of the resulting smoke wall. 

BYD has initially blamed the fire on construction workers who unintentionally ignited combustible materials. However, a broader investigation may uncover more details. The company also said that the fire shouldn't impact its vehicle production.

But despite the fire not reportedly being caused by old EV batteries, people responding to videos of the blaze on social media were quick to mention their reputation for causing fires.

One X user commented: "I wonder what caused it. I'm sure people will assume a battery but you never know." Another added, "A fire at BYD's own facility is the worst possible advertisement for EV battery safety right now." 

Again, though, this sentiment isn't necessarily supported by data. Kelley Blue Book has reported that EVs are actually less likely to catch on fire when compared to internal combustion engine vehicles.

Shares of BYD were down roughly 0.6% after the news of the fire.

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