Terrifying moment family's £50,000 electric Mercedes explodes into flames while it is charging overnight at home
This is the shocking moment a familys £50,000 electric Mercedes burst into flames as it charged on their driveway.
This is the shocking moment a familys £50,000 electric Mercedes burst into flames as it charged on their driveway.
Dramatic CCTV 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 of the home in Spratton, Northamptonshire.
A video of the driveway shows that the car is smoking at first, which the family inside heard but through might bee fireworks, before it erupted into flames.
Fire coming through the bonnet flashed green as the blaze spread across the whole car before Scott, 47, attempted to quell the inferno with a hosepipe.
This is the shocking moment a familys £50,000 electric Mercedes burst into flames as it charged on their driveway
Scott and Georgina Bayliss were baffled about the cause of the fire which engulfed their car
The Mercedes-Benz EQA was hardly recognisable by the time the inferno subsided
As firefighters raced to the house after Scott and Georginas son James, 17, raised the alarm at around 9.15pm on September 30, the family scrambled to protect what they could.
One family member is seen pulling a second car off the driveway and away from danger, allowing more of the others to attempt to hose down the flames.
By the end of the footage, the three men hosing down the car are watching the vehicle crumble before their eyes as the fire continued.
A video taken from down the road showed quite how clearly and brightly the blaze could be seen, all coming from an SUV on the Bayliss driveway.
Scott said he and Georgina, 49, were baffled about the cause of the fire which engulfed their car as the battery was charging.
The father-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.
Three men tried in vain to hose down the flames as they spread across the car
Firefighter at the scene on the evening of September 30
The blaze was so intense it set fire to the garage and caused smoke damage to the front bedroom of the home in Spratton, Northamptonshire
One suggestion is the car, which was 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 dont know for sure whats 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 vapour at the rear of the car and then it exploded. Then the next few hours were chaos.
He said an initial investigation found the vehicle to have been left in such a bad state that it was difficult to know what was the root of the problem.
Its a subjective view, but for all intents and purposes, it feels like a battery fire, Scott added.
How many other Mercedes around the world are that close to fires?
The fire broke out at 9.17pm, luckily we were still up but it could have happened in the middle of the night when we were asleep. That doesnt bear thinking about.
The car, which had 28,000 miles on the clock, had been sitting idle for ten hours before exploding.
Dramatic CCTV footage shows the luxury EQA model explode just feet away from Scott and Georginas front door
As the family scrambled out of their front room, Scott, 47, used a hosepipe to quell the flames
By the end of the footage, three men hosing down the car are watching the vehicle crumble before their eyes as they awaited firefighters
Georgina 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 didnt seem like Mercedes took me seriously at the beginning.
Nothing really happened beyond "well conduct an investigation" and not the human element, the danger to my family and the damage to our house.
He said the German car manufacturer has offered the family a loan car, but remarked: Im not keen to sit in a Mercedes ever again if Im honest.
Its a bit more than a dodgy boot lid. When electric cars do go its 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.
One suggestion is the car entered a thermal runway - when the battery uncontrollably overheats, and is not able to cool down
The car, bought in 2022, had been idle on the driveway for 10 hours before it caught alight
A video taken from down the road showed quite how clearly and brightly the blaze could be seen, all coming from an SUV on the Bayliss driveway
A file photo of a Mercedes-Benz EQA, as it would have looked before the fire
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.
