Hybrid catches fire during drive

The owner of a hybrid-electric car had a lucky escape after his vehicle burst into flames while he was driving along a busy Auckland street.

Stewart Harris says he pulled over in his Mercedes-Benz C350e after smelling petrol and spotting smoke coming from under the bonnet.

He managed to get his three dogs safely out of the burning car and says staff at a nearby office tried to tackle the flames with fire extinguishers before firefighters arrived.

Harris adds he is not familiar with the workings of hybrid cars but explains a new battery had been put in the previous week because of an issue with the transmission.

Two fire crews attended the incident on Normanby Road, Mt Eden, which happened at about 9.20am on October 7.

Fire investigator Colin Melville says hybrid car blazes are an increasing concern as the number of such vehicles on our roads increases.

“The hazard of these types of motor vehicles, being a hybrid, we can have what we call ‘thermal runaway’ where the large batteries can overheat and potentially explode – which creates a hazard for firefighting personnel and also a risk of potential reignition – making it very difficult for us to extinguish,” he told Newshub.

Melville adds that Fire and Emergency New Zealand is training its staff to deal with the hazards and risks of hybrid vehicles.