Terrifying moment plush £200k Porsche EV bursts into flames on street during rush hour as firefighters battle blaze

This is the moment a £200,000 luxury Porsche bursts into flames in the middle of a busy street.

The silver electric vehicle was seen in flames at an intersection full of rush-hour commuters in Chongqing, southwest China.

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Firefighters were seen frantically putting out the engine, believed to be an electric Porsche Taycan, as stunned drivers looked on.

Eyewitnesses reported that they suddenly heard a loud noise before noticing thick smoke rising from the street.

Footage of the dramatic incident on Sunday shows flames shooting from the hood to the bumper.

The fire even seemed to spread to the rear wheels before the inferno gained momentum and turned the Porsche into a fireball.

It seemed like there was going to be an explosion in the streets as people rushed to work in one of western China’s most important economic centers.

Frustrated drivers stuck at the intersection were heard honking as the road came to a standstill.

Other impatient drivers brave enough to brave the danger were seen driving around the burning electric vehicle.

Rescue workers bombarded the Porsche with hoses to put out the fire, which continued to scorch the expensive vehicle.

It took them about 20 minutes to put out the car fire.

Fortunately, the owner of the expensive Porsche escaped unhurt and no other injuries were reported.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was caused by a short circuit in the electric vehicle’s motor.

This created sparks that started a fire that quickly spread throughout the engine at the busy intersection before exploding.

Porsche said it would investigate the incident and review the alleged significant damage.

Electric car fires are notoriously difficult to put out because the lithium-ion batteries burn hot and quickly – and can potentially reignite.

Earlier this month, Porsche recalled a number of vehicles in its Taycan range due to a serious battery fault that poses a “fire hazard”.

A problem with the battery sealant caused water to seep into the battery over time, which could eventually cause the car to catch fire.

A Porsche spokesman said: “The safety of our customers and the quality of our vehicles are our top priority.”

“After thorough testing, we discovered that in a few cases there is a possibility of moisture entering the car battery.

“In this case, the driver is first warned by a yellow warning light and then by a red warning symbol on the vehicle display.

“For this reason, with the utmost caution, we are planning a recall of affected cars built between September 22, 2022 and August 3, 2023 to test the battery seal.”

Most current electric vehicle batteries are made with large amounts of lithium.

The light metal element reacts extremely reactively with water and can lead to explosions or fires upon contact.

Two weeks ago, a fire broke out in five cars in the Sydney Airport car park after a faulty battery reportedly sparked it.

In August, 2,700 cars were melted on a cargo ship after a suspected electric vehicle fire caused millions of dollars in damage.

A Tesla also burst into flames in the middle of London in July.

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