Inside the world's biggest car graveyard that houses over 100,000 vehicles

Published on Aug 31, 2023 at 6:15 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis

Last updated on Sep 01, 2023 at 12:11 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Alessandro Renesis

Inside the world's biggest car graveyard that houses over 100,000 vehicles

This is the world’s biggest car graveyard.

It is the resting place of over 100,000 vehicles, abandoned by their owners at one point and brought here to rot.

READ MORE: Three brand-new Teslas for sale after they were found abandoned in a Chinese shipping container

The biggest car graveyard in the world is located in China, in a city named Hangzhou, not too far from Shanghai.

And there’s a very good reason for this.

Chinese motorists are buying cars at an incredible rate, and China is now an important market for just any car manufacturer.

At the same time, the Chinese government spent the last few years clamping down on emissions, targeting gas- and diesel-powered cars to favor EV adoption.

It’s a recipe we’ve seen before: hefty taxes on gas cars on one hand, and equally sizable grants and tax breaks on EVs on the other.

And it’s working.

The Chinese are getting rid of old bangers to buy new shiny cars – especially in the big cities.

READ MORE: Tesla Roadsters found in containers were on their way to be dismantled by rival company

There are over 360 million cars circulating in China at the moment and the average Chinese motorist buys a new car every 5.5 years.

At that rate, car graveyards fill up pretty quickly.

In fact, this graveyard is also home to old taxis, motorcycles and scooters.

And precisely because people are buying so many new cars, old electric cars are also becoming part of the problem.

There’s another gigantic graveyard in China and this one’s reserved for unsold EVs.

Sure, this is not as big the other one, as in there aren’t 100,000+ vehicles in here.

But it’s still pretty bad, with an estimated 6,000+ vehicles resting here, waiting to be sold.

Or scrapped.

Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.