Wrecked EV From Fatal Crash Sells for Four Times Starting Price at Court Auction

A wrecked XPeng electric car linked to a fatal crash triggered a bidding frenzy at a Chinese court auction, selling for more than four times its starting price.

The severely damaged vehicle, listed by a court in Zhejiang Province on Alibaba's judicial auction platform, opened at 8,400 yuan (US$1,150) and sold for 36,800 yuan after 167 bids from 31 bidders.

Court documents said the car had been seriously damaged in a traffic accident and could no longer be started or driven. Listing photos showed heavy front-end damage, shattered windows and a broken steering wheel.

The vehicle's owner died after the car reportedly veered out of its lane and struck a roadside barrier in Ningbo. The court said proceeds from the auction would be used to repay debts.

An appraisal report valued the vehicle at 12,000 yuan and classified it as scrap due to the high cost of repairs.

The case drew interest partly because of speculation that the buyer might seek trade-in subsidies. But under Zhejiang's 2026 subsidy rules, eligible scrapped new-energy vehicles must have been registered before Dec. 31, 2019, while this XPeng P5 was first registered in January 2022.

Damaged vehicles can still draw buyers, industry insiders told Jimu News, because repair shops and used-car dealers may strip them for parts or refurbish them for resale if acquisition and repair costs are low.