An electric car spent the night stuck on a popular beach after its red-faced owner underestimated the extra weight it was carrying.
BYD Seal EV got stuck in Perth City Beach in Perth on Saturday after being led onto the sand for panoramic sunset photos.
Two EVs had initially been driven into the sand, but only one was able to get out unassisted as bystanders began taking photographs of a group of five men trying to figure out how to free the BYD.
They were not one step closer to removing the vehicle Sunday morning.
Lifeguards and a council ranger attempted to remove the electric vehicle before a nearby swimmer, John Phillips, offered to take it out with his 4×4.
A BYD Seal EV became stuck overnight at City Beach in Perth on Saturday after it was driven onto the sand to take a panoramic sunset photo.
“I got out of the water and took a shower and it was still there. I was about to get a coffee and the tow truck driver came so I thought I’d wait and see what happened,” he said. told Yahoo News.
“It became clear that they didn’t have the right equipment, so I offered to help with my vehicle.”
The grateful BYD owners offered to buy Mr Phillips a coffee for his help and thanked him profusely, he said.
Images of the stuck vehicle were posted online and quickly went viral.
“Recovery is not going very well at City Beach and since a few drops of rain have fallen, all recovery vehicles in the city will be busy,” The Bell Tower Times captioned the images on Facebook.
Some believed the electric vehicle’s heavier construction was to blame.
“Some equipment stuff, but I still have no idea,” one man commented.
One woman added: “Why oh why are they trying to drive their cars on the beach?”
A Surf Live Saving vehicle failed to remove the heavy electric vehicle before a 4×4 came to the rescue on Sunday.
Peter Fullarton, of 4WD Recovery and Charters, said incidents of cars getting stuck on WA beaches were increasing.
He blamed“Inexperienced” drivers who overestimated their car’s ability to handle the difficult terrain.
BYD electric vehicles are gaining popularity in Australia and recently overtook Tesla in global sales.
The Chinese carmaker hopes to become the largest car seller in Australia by 2030.
