Electric car displayed in shopping centre crashes into store, two hospitalised

A BYD Atto 3 on display inside the Westfield Liverpool shopping centre accelerated suddenly on Saturday, with two people having to be taken to hospital.

SBS News reports the car accelerated forward, crashing to a glass balustrade, and then reversed, crashing into the cosmetics section of Myer at around 12:30pm.

There was no battery explosion, as one news outlet had incorrectly reported shortly after the incident. Photos shared by Tony Pham on Facebook show no signs of a fire.

It’s unclear how the vehicle was able to move, considering display vehicles shouldn’t be able to be driven by customers checking them out.

A 14-year old boy was allegedly inside the vehicle when it crashed. He was sent home with family.

Police told SBS News a man in his 50s was treated for minor head injuries, and another in his 30s was treated for chest injuries. Both were taken to Liverpool Hospital in a stable condition.

Two BYD electric vehicles (EVs) were on display outside of Myer: an Atto 3 and a Seal.