In Nanning, located in southern China, two children were captured on video using the cables of a BYD ultra-fast charger as a swing. The incident occurred on October 2nd, coinciding with the Chinese National Day holiday, and the footage quickly went viral on the country's social media platforms.
The images show the children holding the suspended charging guns and swinging with their feet off the ground, while adults record the scene without intervening in any way.
The topic gained significant traction on Weibo, a Chinese platform comparable to X, accumulating 4.4 million views by the 4th, according to IT Home website reports.
In response, BYD's customer service stated on October 4th that playing with the equipment is strictly prohibited. The company also reported sending a team to inspect the station and plans to intensify monitoring and checks at such locations.
This equipment is part of BYD's Flash Charging network, which operates with a 1,000V architecture. According to Chinese media, the current version of this charger has the capacity to supply up to 1,500 kW (equivalent to 1.5 MW) per gun. For comparison, the most common fast chargers on Brazilian highways generally operate in the range of 60 kW to 150 kW.
The high-power cables are designed to be liquid-cooled and are considerably heavy. Because of this, they are fixed to a 'T'-shaped rail equipped with a spring retractor, which serves to support the weight and keep the connector at the user's chest height. Although this configuration facilitates handling, it allows the assembly to function as a pendulum when used improperly.
An analysis conducted by the specialized website CarNewsChina indicated that the immediate risk of an electric shock is limited. Chinese standards stipulate that the charger only releases energy after the gun is connected to a vehicle and passes through locking and communication verification processes.
The main danger pointed out is mechanical damage. A gun weighs between 3 kg and 5 kg, and the cables contain copper conductors, communication lines, and internal cooling ducts. Repeated movements can cause internal damage not visible externally, compromising the safety of future high-current charging sessions. Furthermore, the Kuai Keji website mentioned that under Chinese law, those responsible for the children may be required to cover the costs of any damage caused to the equipment.