- A Mercedes EQA burst into flames in the UK, totaling the vehicle and damaging the owner’s home.
- The electric crossover was reportedly only two years old and had been driven around 28,000 miles.
- The cause of the blaze remains under investigation, but the owners are upset and demanding answers.
Mercedes offers an extensive electric vehicle lineup in America that includes the EQB as well as the EQE, EQE SUV, EQS, and EQS SUV. However, one model you won’t find at dealers is the EQA and after seeing this video you might be glad.
The clip shows the entry-level crossover sitting in a UK driveway during an apparent rainstorm. What initially looks like fog is quickly revealed to be smoke as it emerges from beneath the vehicle and picks up pace.
More: Mercedes EV Bursts Into Flames In Parking Lot, Injuring 21 People And Damaging 70 Cars
An ‘explosion’ can then be seen as the EV bursts into flames and is quickly engulfed. After a period of time, people can be seen attempting to battle the blaze with garden hoses, but they’re just putting a Band-Aid on the situation.
The owners of the crossover spoke to BBC News last week and said the vehicle had been parked outside for several hours before their son heard an explosion. This allowed the family to escape with their dogs as well as attempt to fight the fire with the assistance of a neighbor.
That battle went about as well as you’d expect as the car was a complete loss and the fire also damaged the garage door. The owners also claimed firefighters told them they were “minutes away from losing their home.”
It’s not clear what sparked the blaze, but the model was reportedly only two years old and wasn’t charging at the time. Mercedes told the BBC that once they were informed about the issue, they got in touch with the owner’s insurance company to examine the vehicle and begin an investigation. The automaker also offered the owners a loaner vehicle.
The incident reportedly happened on September 30 in Spratton, Northamptonshire and the Daily Mail reports the EQA only had around 28,000 miles (45,062 km) on the odometer. The owners also told the publication, “It didn’t seem like Mercedes took me seriously at the beginning” as “nothing really happened beyond ‘we’ll conduct an investigation.’”
While investigations don’t happen overnight, the family is understandably upset and has been hitting up the British media circuit. It also sounds like they rejected the loaner vehicle as the husband said, “I’m not keen to sit in a Mercedes ever again.”
As for the investigation, it’s reportedly still ongoing. However, there doesn’t appear to be any fire-related recalls for the EQA in the United Kingdom. In fact, the only recalls we found on British EQAs involved a steering issue and the lack of a printed owner’s manual.
