'LIKE A BOMB'
Terrifying moment £50k Mercedes EV EXPLODES on family’s driveway before ferocious flames spread to their home
Neighbours clubbed together to try and put it out, but the car was consumed in less than a minute
CCTV has captured the horror moment a £50,000 Mercedes EV burst into flames on a driveway, before the fire spread to a family home.
The car had been sitting out in the open for 10 hours and wasn't even charging when it "spontaneously exploded".
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In the video, the EQA model SUV can be seen sitting just a few feet from its owners Scott and Georgina Bayliss' home in Spratton, Northamptonshire.
A cloud of vapour begins to stream out from the underside of the vehicle for a few seconds.
Then, without any other warning, it suddenly burst into a blaze, appearing to start underneath the motor on the left-hand side.
Within ten seconds, the fire leapt to the bonnet and the windscreen, despite the fact it was raining at the time.
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Scott can be seen rushing out of the house and grabbing the hose pipe in an effort to douse the flames.
Neighbours also rushed to help, but the entire car is swallowed by the inferno within a minute of it starting.
Scott recalled: "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.
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"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.
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"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."
Firefighters later confirmed that the property's garage had been set alight, while the front bedroom had suffered smoke damage.
Georgina added that the family was "lucky to have got out safely", but the couple claim that Mercedes did not "take [them] seriously when they complained.
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Scott went on: "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."
A Mercedes spokesperson said the company could not comment while the investigation was ongoing, but did stress that the company had reached out to the family.
They 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.
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";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."
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