By New York Post (World News) | Created at 2024-10-31 19:10:04 | Updated at 2024-10-31 21:35:15
2 hours ago
This is the shocking moment a family’s $64K electric Mercedes burst into flames on their driveway.
Dramatic footage shows the luxury EQA model explode just feet away from Scott and Georgina Bayliss’ front door.
The blaze was so intense it set fire to the garage and caused smoke damage to the front bedroom.
Firefighters raced to the couple’s home in Spratton, Northants in the UK after their son James,
17, raised the alarm at around 9:15 p.m. on September 30.
Scott, 47, said he and Georgina were baffled about the cause of the fire which engulfed their car as the battery was charging.
The dad-of-two said: “We were watching TV and suddenly there was a popping sound.
“My son thought someone was letting off fireworks but then there was a very loud bang like a bomb going off. There were flames everywhere.
“The pace and ferocity at which the fire took hold and engulfed the entire car and pretty much the entire front of our house was scary beyond belief.”
The family managed to scramble out of the house while Scott tried to put the blaze out with a hosepipe while waiting for the fire service to arrive.
One theory is the car, which they bought in 2022, entered a ‘thermal runway’, when the battery uncontrollably overheats, and is not able to cool down.
Scott, who works in food manufacturing, added: “We don’t know for sure what’s happened, but based on knowledge and video footage, it looks like the car went into some thermal runaway.
“It exploded 20 seconds into that thermal runaway.
“You can see some vapor at the rear of the car and then it exploded. Then the next few hours were chaos.
“The initial investigator concluded the vehicle was in such a bad state, it was difficult to ascertain what the fault was.
“It’s a subjective view, but for all intents and purposes, it feels like a battery fire.
“How many other Mercedes around the world are that close to fires?
“The fire broke out at 9:17 p.m., luckily we were still up but it could have happened in the middle of the night when we were asleep.
“That doesn’t bear thinking about.”
The car, which had 28,000 miles on the clock, had been sitting idle for ten hours before exploding.
Georgina, 49, said: “We are lucky to have got out safely, for our house to still be standing, and to all be here in one piece.
“When we saw the flames, we grabbed the puppies, and we ran out the back door.”
The couple say they have contacted Mercedes and demanded an explanation.
Scott said: “It didn’t seem like Mercedes took me seriously at the beginning.
“Nothing really happened beyond ‘we’ll conduct an investigation’ and not the human element, the danger to my family and the damage to our house.
“They’ve offered us a loan car. I’m not keen to sit in a Mercedes ever again if I’m honest.
“No one senior has reached out to me and had a chat about it. You’d think they’d be more engaged.
“It’s a bit more than a dodgy boot lid. When electric cars do go it’s the most ferocious and explosive thing.
“It continued to explode, pop and fizz in front of me. It was like having a bonfire outside your front door.
“It was so badly burnt no one could really tell what it was.”
A spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz UK said: “We were sorry to learn of the incident.
“After receiving contact from Mr. Bayliss, we took it very seriously and immediately
contacted his vehicle insurer to arrange to investigate and examine the vehicle.
“We received feedback today and will set up a joint inspection shortly. Until then, please understand that we cannot comment further.
“In the meantime, we have offered Mr Bayliss a loan car as a gesture of goodwill.”
