- A BYD SUV in China evaded a wheel clamp by lifting its clamped wheel off the ground.
- The Bao 8 uses BYD's DiSus-P Ultra suspension to raise one wheel up to 300 mm.
- The system supports lifting force over 19,000 pounds and works up to 15 kmph.
A BYD SUV in China has given parking enforcement officers a new headache, by simply lifting its clamped wheel off the ground and driving away on three. The video, circulating on Chinese social media, shows the off-road-focused Fangchengbao Bao 8 pulling out of a parking space in Jinshan Town, Lianyungang, with its left front wheel about a foot off the ground, rendering the boot useless.
How It Did It
The trick lies in BYD's DiSus-P Ultra suspension system, which includes dual-valve dampers allowing the vehicle to raise one wheel off the ground. The system was developed to make wheel and tyre changes easy without a jack, and to help a driver raise one wheel to clear an obstacle on an off-road trail.
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According to BYD, the system delivers up to over 19,000 pounds of lifting force and can suspend a wheel in mid-air for up to 24 hours. It operates only up to 15 kmph, which is why the Bao 8 was seen moving at low speed.
Why It Worked Here
Driving at low speeds with the wheel raised could allow someone with a flat tyre to reach a safer location without further damaging the tyre or wheel. In this case, the raised wheel meant the boot had no contact with the road, letting the SUV drive off without issue.
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The system's suspension adjustment travel is up to 200 mm, with an individual-wheel lift height of up to 300 mm and a maximum lifting capacity of nine metric tons.
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Police could resort to remote-controlled recovery robots to move illegally parked vehicles, but if parking inspectors in China want an alternative to a wheel clamp without towing, they might consider something like the Barnacle used in parts of the US. That device uses strong suction cups to stick to a car's windshield, blocking the driver's view. It doesn't prevent the car from moving, but it makes driving very difficult, and removing it without the proper tools is extremely hard.
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