China’s rise in EV production has not followed the typical trajectory of slow innovation, rigorous testing, and quality assurance.
Chengdu, China — On a bustling afternoon at Chengdu Tianfu Airport, a BYD electric vehicle spun wildly in circles, its brakes failing in self-driving mode, careening over 100 times in a parking lot before being stopped remotely. The incident, captured on video and shared widely on social media, sparked fresh alarm over the safety of China’s rapidly expanding electric vehicle (EV) industry. For years, the Chinese Communist Party has championed its EV sector as a beacon of technological prowess and green innovation, fueled by generous subsidies and aggressive marketing. Yet, mounting reports of spontaneous fires, battery failures, and quality defects are casting a shadow over Beijing’s ambitions, turning its much-touted electric revolution into a global cautionary tale of safety lapses and consumer distrust.
China’s National Fire and Rescue Administration reported a 32% increase in new energy vehicle (NEV) fires in Q1 2024, with approximately eight EVs catching fire daily, totaling nearly 3,000 annually. Notable cases include a Leapmotor C11 igniting on January 19, 2024, and multiple BYD dealership fires in late 2023. These incidents, often linked to lithium-ion battery issues, have heightened public concern, with Zhejiang province banning EVs from some parking garages. While EV fires occur globally (e.g., Tesla reported 232 fires since 2013), China’s high incident rate may reflect its massive EV market and, in some cases, lower-quality batteries or rushed production.
China’s rise in EV production has not followed the typical trajectory of slow innovation, rigorous testing, and quality assurance. Instead, it’s been turbocharged by widespread unauthorized use of intellectual property. From battery chemistry to chassis design, Chinese manufacturers often operating in close coordination with the CCP have routinely extracted proprietary technology from foreign automakers through forced joint ventures, cyber espionage, and reverse engineering.
Rather than cultivating a domestic ecosystem of world-class engineering, the state-backed industry has prioritized quantity over quality. Hundreds of manufacturers entered the EV race, lured by subsidies and market access, with little incentive to ensure safety, reliability, or long-term performance. What emerged was a patchwork of substandard vehicles often built on stolen blueprints but lacking the precision and safeguards that make those designs viable.
Perhaps the most damning indicator of China’s failing EV experiment came in early June 2025, when a cargo ship en route to Mexico caught fire near the Aleutian Islands. Aboard the vessel were more than 3,000 Chinese-manufactured vehicles including 65 fully electric models and hundreds of hybrids. The blaze spread uncontrollably, forcing the crew to abandon ship. While human lives were spared, the ship drifted for weeks before sinking, and all its cargo was lost.
Preliminary investigations suggested the fire originated in the section where EVs were stored, and experts quickly pointed to the volatility of lithium-ion batteries specially when poorly manufactured. Bloomberg cited logistics analysts who warned that Chinese-made EVs present serious shipping risks, particularly during bulk transport, due to their unstable battery chemistry and minimal safety compliance.
Such incidents are not isolated. In mainland China, EV fires have surged during hot and humid seasons. In early July, an EV spontaneously combusted in Zuny Gujo, spewing flames and thick smoke in under a minute. Firefighters subdued the blaze, but the vehicle was reduced to ash. Suspected cause: faulty circuit wiring.
Subpar manufacturing isn’t just causing visible explosions it’s quietly poisoning users. Days after the Gujo fire, a man in Hanan collapsed after entering his EV, overcome by a foul odor later traced to battery leakage. He was hospitalized with symptoms of chemical poisoning. His brother, who assisted him, also vomited from exposure.
This disturbing episode underscores a larger problem: safety oversight in China’s EV market is dangerously lacking. Manufacturers admit that odors from battery leaks may occur under certain conditions, yet buyers are offered no assurances or effective remedies. Poor quality control, combined with weak regulatory enforcement, has turned ordinary transportation into a gamble with one’s health.
Performance failures are compounding the crisis. EVs often promise sleek efficiency and long-range travel, but real-world usage paints a different picture. When temperatures climb above 38°Cas they frequently do in China’s summer vehicle range can plummet by over 30%. Air conditioning systems kick in to protect sensitive battery modules, quietly draining energy even while the car sits idle.
In one documented case, an EV consumed 50 kilometers worth of energy in a single day without moving an inch. In contrast, gasoline vehicles perform more predictably in extreme weather and retain value over time. Unlike gas cars, which remain resalable after a decade, many Chinese EVs lose nearly all market value after five years, with dealers refusing to buy them back.
At the core of these failures lies a political system more concerned with optics than outcomes. The CCP has bankrolled its EV industry with subsidies and protectionist policies, shielding it from competition and accountability. Manufacturers operate in a feedback loop of state praise and suppressed criticism. Quality testing is lax. Consumer complaints are brushed aside. Transparency is non-existent.
Moreover, many Chinese EV companies operate at financial losses, raising questions about their ability to honour warranties, maintain service networks, or invest in technological upgrades. Instead of incentivizing excellence, Beijing has created a bubble of mediocrity one now bursting under the weight of global scrutiny.
While China continues to flood the market, the reputational toll is mounting. The sinking of 3,000 vehicles wasn’t just a shipping disaster. It was a metaphor. The very brand of Chinese automotive excellence has been scorched, and recovery will require more than propaganda and subsidies.
China’s EV industry highlights the challenges of prioritizing rapid growth over sustained innovation. While leveraging external technologies can accelerate development, long-term success requires robust standards, rigorous engineering, and transparent accountability. Without these, the industry risks facing quality concerns and scepticism from global markets.
China’s ambitious push into the electric vehicle (EV) sector, intended to showcase its leadership in green technology, has encountered significant hurdles. Rather than gaining universal acclaim, the industry faces growing international scrutiny over quality and safety concerns. To maintain its global standing, China’s EV sector must address these challenges by prioritizing rigorous standards and transparent practices. As consumers, regulators, and international partners observe closely, Beijing has an opportunity to strengthen its approach to ensure sustainable success in a competitive global market.