Children were filmed swinging from the suspended cable of an operational BYD Megawatt Flash Charger at a public charging site in Nanning, Guangxi, on October 2. The footage spread across Chinese social media during the National Day holiday. BYD customer service said on October 4 that playing on charging equipment is prohibited, and that maintenance staff had been sent to inspect the site. The company also said it would tighten station monitoring and physical checks.
The charger uses an overhead rail and spring-loaded retractor to support its heavy liquid-cooled cable and keep the connector accessible without letting the line drag on the ground. BYD introduced the system with its Super e-Platform in March 2025. It is built around a 1,000V architecture and can deliver up to 1,000 kW at 1,000V and 1,000A; the hardware’s stated theoretical ceiling is 1,500 kW at 1,500A.
The report says electrical danger may be limited while the connector is idle: charging contactors remain open until a vehicle is connected and locking and communication checks are completed. The more significant concern is repeated swinging stress, which could strain the retractor, cable seals or connector joints. Damage inside the liquid-cooled cable, including to conductors or the protective-earth line, might not be visible from outside. The suspended connector also poses an impact risk if dropped.
The incident comes as BYD expands its network, with more than 10,000 Megawatt Flash Charging stations operating in China and a domestic goal of 20,000 by the end of 2026. The company has also set a target of 6,000 overseas flash-charging stations by the end of 2027, including 3,000 in the EU and 300 in the UK. The report notes that existing Chinese charging standards specify mechanical tests but do not address repeated pendulum-like loads on overhead systems.