A Chinese-built BYD Atto 3 electric crossover reportedly withstood a nearby rocket strike in Jerusalem, leaving passengers alive despite severe damage.
According to a newly published report, a Chinese-built BYD Atto 3 electric crossover survived a rocket strike in Jerusalem. The incident took place on March 1. At the moment of the attack, five people were inside the vehicle. Reports say one passenger suffered moderate injuries, while the other four escaped with minor wounds.
Photos from the scene are striking. The car ended up stopped right at the edge of a deep crater. Its body panels were badly damaged by flying debris, but the most important part—the structural frame—remained intact. The roof pillars, including the A, B and C pillars, did not shift, preserving survival space inside the cabin.
Much of that resilience appears to come from the vehicle’s chassis design. Around 85% of the structure is built from ultra-high-strength steel, which helped absorb and disperse the energy from the blast wave.
One of the biggest concerns with electric vehicles in situations like this is the risk of battery fires. In this case, that didn’t happen. The high-voltage system in the Atto 3 reportedly showed no signs of overheating, and the battery pack remained fully sealed. There was no smoke and no fire.
Despite heavy deformation of the exterior panels, the door locks and handles continued to operate normally. Rescue crews did not need to cut through the metal with tools to reach the occupants—people were able to exit through the regular doors.
Military experts, however, urge caution when interpreting the incident. They point out that no civilian vehicle would survive a direct missile strike. Still, the Atto 3 appears to have endured a harsh real-world test, withstanding a combination of blast pressure, flying debris and intense heat.
The model previously earned a five-star safety rating in tests conducted by Euro NCAP, but this real-life explosion proved to be a far tougher challenge than any controlled laboratory crash test.
It seems the vehicle’s 150-kilowatt electric motor and 0–62 mph acceleration time of 7.3 seconds may not be its most important qualities when it comes to surviving extreme situations.