A video circulating on Chinese social media appears to show a BYD Fangchengbao Bao 8 leaving a parking space with one wheel lifted off the ground, allowing the off-road SUV to bypass a wheel clamp.

The footage was reportedly recorded on a road in Jinshan Town, Lianyunggang. In the clip, the dark green Bao 8 pulls away while its left front wheel hangs roughly a foot above the pavement, leaving the parking boot unable to perform its intended function.

Although the unusual scene might look digitally generated, the vehicle’s movement is enabled by a real feature: BYD’s DiSus-P Ultra suspension system. The technology was not developed to defeat parking enforcement, but its ability to raise an individual wheel made the maneuver possible.

How the Bao 8 suspension works

The DiSus-P Ultra system uses dual-valve dampers and can lift one wheel clear of the ground without the use of a conventional jack. BYD developed the setup to simplify wheel and tire changes, while also giving the vehicle additional flexibility on off-road terrain.

When operating in this mode, the Bao 8 is limited to speeds of up to 9.3 mph, or 15 km/h. That low-speed capability could also allow a driver with a flat tire to move the vehicle to a safer location while potentially avoiding additional damage to the tire or wheel.

On a trail, the system can raise a wheel to help the SUV negotiate obstacles such as rocks, logs, or ruts. Reducing the contact of one tire with the ground can create additional clearance around an obstruction, although the source does not indicate that the system was intended for use against wheel clamps.

Suspension lifting capacity

According to BYD, the system produces more than 19,000 pounds of lifting force and can keep a wheel suspended in the air for as long as 24 hours. Those capabilities are designed around vehicle maintenance and off-road use, but they also explain how the Bao 8 could pull away while a parking boot remained attached to a raised wheel.

Authorities seeking an alternative to conventional wheel clamps could instead use devices such as the Barnacle, which is deployed in some areas of the United States. The suction-cup device attaches to a vehicle’s windshield and blocks the driver’s view. It does not physically prevent the vehicle from moving, but removing it without the appropriate tools is reportedly difficult.