BYD Covers Every Cost When Its Self-Driving Cars Crash

Imagine buying a car with self-driving features and actually getting a promise the company will stand behind when things go wrong.

That's exactly what BYD, one of the world's largest electric vehicle makers, just rolled out in China. When its God's Eye autonomous driving system causes an accident, the company pays everything: car repairs, property damage, medical bills, all of it.

No price caps. No shifting blame to drivers. No insurance nightmares that follow you for years.

The policy already passed its first real-world test in August 2025. A Denza Z9GT owner used the self-parking feature to enter an underground garage when the system failed to detect a retractable ground lock. The car scraped across it, damaging the undercarriage.

Three BYD staff showed up, checked the car's data logs, and gave an instant answer: free repair, no questions asked. The anxious owner walked away without paying a cent.

The guarantee now covers two features. Smart parking protection lasts the lifetime of the vehicle. City Navigation, which handles urban driving without driver input, gets 12 months of coverage starting from delivery or software update.

When an accident happens, owners call BYD directly instead of their insurance company. Technicians inspect the scene and pull the vehicle's backend data, which records every action the system took. If the logs confirm the system was active and at fault, BYD covers all costs immediately.

The Ripple Effect

This move puts real pressure on other automakers to back up their autonomous driving promises with actual guarantees. For years, companies have sold expensive self-driving features while keeping liability murky.

The contrast with competitors is striking. Some automakers have faced billions in lawsuits over unfulfilled autonomy promises and crashes involving driver-assist systems. Others quietly change contract language after the sale or make original purchase agreements disappear from online portals.

BYD's approach is refreshingly simple: we built it, we tested it, and if it fails, we pay. The company absorbs all financial consequences with zero impact on the driver's insurance record.

Right now, both guarantees only apply in China. But the precedent is set, and customers in other markets will inevitably ask why their automakers won't offer the same protection.

When a company puts unlimited money behind its technology, it sends a clear message about how much faith it has in what it built.