“There were flames licking out from under the rear wheel arch. I gave my son my phone and said ‘dial 111’, in less than two minutes it was engulfed in flames”. Genet said the complete destruction of the vehicle, an 18-month-old BMW i3, was thanks in part to its modern construction, made mostly out of plastic and carbon-fibre. He said his estimate of the temperatures of the blaze, based on the melting temperature of aluminium, were in the range of 780 to 800 degrees Celsius or higher. “I haven’t had a chance to Google it and see if it’s a common fault.”
Occupants lucky escape as EV destroyed in highway blaze stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
It was a fiery end to what should have been a leisurely Sunday drive, after an electric vehicle was burnt to the ground alongside the state highway between Nelson and Blenheim.