Video: BYD Song Plus EV survives being struck by lightning thrice

There’s a popular saying that lightning never hits the same spot twice, but scientists will have you know that it’s only true for the spots that cease to exist after the first hit. The driver of this EV got lucky because not even three consecutive strikes could cause harm to their ride.

The short video was taken by a dash camera of another car sitting on the same parking lot. It later went viral and was featured on the local TV program, TVBS NEWS. The episode highlighted that no short circuit has occurred, leaving the vehicle and the driver intact. If you look closer, though, you’ll see tiny dents left by the lightning bolt where it hit the roof.

Lightning charges typically accumulate millions of volts, which is considered a potential life hazard. However, the exterior of the car usually acts as a Faraday cage of sorts, attracting and absorbing the electricity then feeding it slowly into the ground where it’s conductive enough. Even so, drivers are strongly advised to turn off all electronics on board and stay indoors for at least 30 minutes without touching the metallic parts of their car. Only when your life is directly threatened – for example, a fire is breaking out – is it considered okay to try leaving the car.

With over a million units sold in 2024 alone, the BYD Song Plus remains one of China’s best-selling EVs. CarNewsChina adds that it is also the world’s most frequently imported foreign car right now, with more than 134,000 examples sold outside of China in the first half of 2025. Year-on-year foreign sales have skyrocketed by 184%.