BYD Atto 3 Survives Missile Strike in Jerusalem

Jakarta (ANTARA) – A BYD Atto 3 (known in China as Yuan Plus) drew global attention on 1 March 2026 after surviving the impact of a short-range ballistic missile blast in Jerusalem. The Carnewschina site reported on Tuesday that even though the vehicle lay at the edge of a deep crater, the cabin remained intact and the high-voltage battery system showed no signs of fire or thermal runaway.

Local emergency service Magen David Adom confirmed that five people were inside the vehicle when the blast occurred. The driver sustained a moderate injury, while the other four occupants sustained only minor injuries or shock.

The incident provides extreme real-world evidence of the Atto 3’s passive safety system. Military analysts noted that the vehicle did not suffer a ‘direct hit’, which would likely destroy any civilian vehicle, but it remained exposed to a combination of high‑pressure blast waves, flying shrapnel and intense heat radiation.

Cabin integrity: the A-, B-, and C-pillars did not collapse. The high-strength steel chassis, forming around 85 percent of the frame, helped distribute the explosion energy.

Regarding battery stability, the Blade Battery LFP integrated in the e-Platform 3.0 remained stable. Although the vehicle slid into a crater several metres deep, the battery pack did not burn nor vent smoke.

This case of resilience follows a similar incident in June 2025 when a Xpeng G6 was hit by missile debris in Israel without exploding.

Atto 3 retained five-star ratings from Euro NCAP and ANCAP, with a 91 per cent score for adult occupant protection. In Israel, where the Atto 3 was the best-selling electric vehicle in 2024 and 2025, the incident further bolstered the brand’s reputation for ruggedness.