A serene evening turned into a scene from a disaster movie when a $64K electric Mercedes abruptly caught fire and exploded in the driveway of a Spratton home.
In Spratton, Northants, a charging electric Mercedes burst into flames and exploded, causing significant property damage but no injuries, New York Post reported.
The Bayliss family experienced a shocking event when their Mercedes EQA model exploded on their property. The incident occurred around 9:15 p.m. on September 30, radically altering their peaceful night.
Seventeen-year-old James Bayliss was the first to notice something awry. He mistook the initial sounds for fireworks, but the situation quickly escalated. According to his father, Scott Bayliss, a loud bang followed, resembling a bomb explosion, and their house was immediately engulfed in flames.
The fire, which started near the vehicle parked close to their front door, violently spread to the garage and caused smoke damage to the front bedroom. Scott attempted to control the blaze using a hosepipe as he awaited the arrival of firefighters.
Scott and his wife Georgina were puzzled by the vehicle's sudden combustion. The car had been stationary for ten hours prior to the incident, and there was speculation that the battery might have overheated, leading to a thermal runaway — a condition where the battery overheats and leads to uncontrollable consequences.
Scott described the terror of watching the car burst into flames just seconds after the suspected thermal runaway began. He recounted seeing vapor at the rear of the vehicle before it exploded into flames, leading to hours of chaos as firefighters struggled to quell the inferno.
The rapid escalation of the fire forced the Bayliss family, including their puppies, to flee through the back door. Georgina Bayliss highlighted the family's fortune in escaping unscathed, expressing relief that their house was still standing and that they were all safe.
Although the family remained physically unharmed, the emotional and material toll was significant. The once-valued $64K Mercedes sustained such extensive damage that initial investigators could not determine the exact cause of the fire.
Following the incident, Scott reached out to Mercedes-Benz for explanations and support. He felt that the car manufacturer's initial response lacked substance, especially considering the potential danger posed to his family and property.
In response, Mercedes-Benz UK stated that they took the incident seriously and planned an investigation in collaboration with Scott's vehicle insurer. They offered a loan car as a goodwill gesture, but Scott hesitated, given his recent experience.
Scott Bayliss voiced his dissatisfaction about the lack of direct communication from senior Mercedes-Benz staff, feeling undervalued and overlooked despite the severity of the incident. He emphasized that the response he received did not match the near-catastrophic nature of the event and the potential risks involved.
"It didn't seem like Mercedes took me seriously at the beginning," Scott mentioned, highlighting the need for more human engagement rather than a straightforward procedural response. He was particularly critical of what he perceived as a lack of urgency and empathy in the car manufacturer’s handling of the incident.
As investigations proceed, the Bayliss family hopes for a thorough understanding and resolution to ensure that such a terrifying event does not happen to other electric vehicle owners.
