Content Creator Fined IDR 4.8 Billion for Defaming Denza B5 for Wasting Fuel Consumption

JAKARTA - The world's largest electric car manufacturer, BYD, won a defamation lawsuit related to the fuel consumption of the Denza B5 SUV against a TikTok blogger. The court ordered the content creator to pay compensation of more than 2 million yuan.

This case began when automotive blogger Yao Weiqiang uploaded a video testing the fuel consumption of the Denza B5 on his Douyin (China's version of TikTok) account, which has more than 1 million followers. In the video, Yao claimed that the BYD plug-in hybrid SUV consumed 18 liters per 100 km in normal driving conditions.

In fact, the official consumption figure claimed for the Denza B5 is recorded at 1.79 liters per 100 km based on the WLTC standard in China. This large difference triggered netizen's spotlight, especially after they found traffic violations in the test footage and reported it to the police.

Reported by Carnewschina, Thursday, January 22, the results of the investigation using onboard vehicle data revealed that Yao was driving aggressively on the highway. He was recorded driving between 140-160 km/h for more than 46 percent of the travel time, then 120-140 km/h for 37 percent of the time.

In fact, he had several times accelerated the vehicle to 180 km/h. In addition to high speed, vehicle data also shows repeated acceleration and deceleration, a driving pattern that is common to increase fuel consumption.

The police also concluded that Yao's actions endangered road safety. On the other hand, BYD considers the claim of fuel consumption in normal conditions to be false information that harms the reputation of the product.

In response, BYD sued Yao Weiqiang and demanded a public apology and compensation of 5 million yuan. However, in the first-instance ruling received by BYD on January 22, the court ordered Yao to pay compensation of 2.01 million yuan, or the equivalent of Rp4.8 billion.

"We always respect and accept suggestions and supervision from all sectors of society, but the internet is not a lawless zone. We will continue to protect the legitimate rights and interests of companies through legal channels against all forms of insults, rumor spreading, defamation, or other violations," said a representative of BYD.

BYD's move to sue influencers is not the first time. The company's legal team is said to be actively fighting false information from bloggers. In June 2025, CarNewsChina reported that BYD had sued 37 influencers for online defamation.

In fact, on December 25 last year, BYD also won a similar lawsuit against several online accounts with compensation reaching 2 million yuan. The Chinese automotive giant is also reported to have formed an Anti-News Fraud Office to respond to the proliferation of hoaxes and rumors related to the company.

For information, the Denza B5 is known as an off-road SUV with a separate frame chassis. In the Chinese domestic market, this model is marketed under the name Fang Cheng Bao Bao 5. Sales began October 2023 with an initial price tag of 289,800 yuan.

According to China EV DataTracker, its total domestic shipments have reached 109,177 units. For performance, the Denza B5's drive system relies on a 1.5-liter engine combined with two electric motors, producing a combined power of 505 kW or the equivalent of 650 hp.