BYD Seal electric vehicle owner's embarrassing mistake on Perth's City Beach
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An electric car has spent the night bogged on a popular beach after its red-faced owner underestimated the added weight that it carried.
The BYD Seal EV became stuck on Perth's City Beach in Perth on Saturday after it was driven onto the sand for scenic sunset pictures.
Two EVs had initially been driven onto the sand but only one was able to leave unassisted as passersby began taking photos of a group of five men trying to work out how to free the BYD.
They were no step closer to getting the vehicle out on Sunday morning.
Lifeguards and a council ranger tried manoeuvre the EV out before a nearby swimmer John Phillips, offered to drag it out with his 4WD.
A BYD Seal EV was stuck overnight at City Beach in Perth on Saturday after it was driven onto the sand for a scenic sunset picture
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'I got out the water and had a shower and it was still there. I was about to get a coffee and the tow truck driver rolled up so I thought I'd wait and see what happened,' he told Yahoo News.
'It became apparent they didn't have the right equipment so I offered to help with my vehicle.'
The thankful owners of the BYD offered to buy Mr Phillips a coffee for his help and thanked him profusely, he said.
Pictures of the bogged vehicle were posted online and quickly went viral.
'Recovery not going too well at City Beach and given a few drops of rain have fallen, every recovery vehicle in the City will be busy,' The Bell Tower Times captioned the footage on Facebook.
Some believed the EV's heavier build was to blame.
'Some of the gear but still no idea,' one man commented.
One woman added: 'Why oh why do they try and drive their cars on the beach.'
A Surf Live Saving vehicle failed to drag the heavy EV out before a 4WD came to the rescue on Sunday
Peter Fullarton, from 4WD Recovery and Charters, said incidents of cars getting stuck on WA beaches was on the rise.
He blamed 'inexperienced' drivers who overestimated their car's capability to handle the difficult terrain.
BYD electric vehicles are surging in popularity in Australia, and recently overtook Tesla in global sales.
The Chinese car manufacturer hopes to become the biggest car seller in Australia by 2030.