JAKARTA - A MG5 sedan was reported to have caught fire while parked in the Ningbo area, Zhejiang Province, China, on the night of May 17. The vehicle was known to be in the area outside a luxury hotel in an urban area when the fire began to devour the car.
Until now, MG and its parent company, SAIC Motor, have not given official statements regarding the incident. Local authorities and Chinese media have also not released the results of the investigation into the cause of the fire.
Based on information circulating on local social media platforms such as WeChat and Rednote, the car was parked and there were no passengers inside it when the incident occurred. No casualties were reported in the incident.
Launching from Carnewschina, Tuesday, May 19, the early photos circulating showed the fire engulfing the cabin to the vehicle's luggage. This condition raises the suspicion that the starting point of the fire is likely not from the engine room.
Residents also admitted to smelling thick smoke accompanied by a pungent aroma when the fire occurred. The fire was even said to have spread to the vegetation area around the parking lot.
Officers finally managed to put out the fire before damaging other vehicles in the vicinity. After the fire was extinguished, the remaining part of the car was charred and the front wheels still displayed the MG logo.
The cause of the fire is still unknown. The condition of the vehicle before the incident has not been revealed. A Rednote user who claimed to be the owner's spouse said the car was bought about two years ago and was not equipped with vehicle damage insurance.
If the information is true, the owner is said to not receive compensation for the car that burned out. Meanwhile, mandatory traffic insurance protection in China only covers property damage up to 2,000 yuan or around 300 US dollars.
Without additional third-party liability insurance, owners have the potential to bear the damage to public facilities, plants, and other vehicles around the location. This incident has rekindled discussions about vehicle safety in China, especially amid the increasing popularity of new energy vehicles or NEVs.
Previously, a Wuling Binguo was also reported to have caught fire while parked during Labor Day in China. Another case involving the Xiaomi SU7 also strengthened the spotlight on battery safety and vehicle safety in general.
Regulators in China have also begun tightening rules, including requiring the use of mechanical door handles and the implementation of a new battery standard titled "Not Burning, Not Exploding" which is scheduled to take effect from July 2026.
For information, the MG5 is a compact sedan marketed by MG under the auspices of SAIC. This model has also previously attracted attention after receiving zero stars in the Australian ANCAP safety test in 2023.
The results contrast with the MG4 EV which managed to get five stars in a similar test. ANCAP said the MG5 dashboard could potentially cause injuries in a frontal collision.
The car also received low scores for side impact protection and neck injury. According to ANCAP, MG5's safety features are considered to be behind its competitors in the same segment.
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