A driver and his three dogs had a lucky escape in Auckland on Friday morning after his vehicle went up in flames.
Emergency services were called to Normanby Road just before 10am after Stewart Harris was forced to pull his hybrid Mercedes C-350-E off the road when smoke started to billow from the engine.
Harris said the incident unfolded while travelling down Mt Eden Rd when he noticed a strange smell coming from the vehicle.
After travelling another kilometre, Harris said smoke started spurting from the bonnet.
"I whipped around the corner outside this lovely office where the people came out and got fire extinguishers and tried to put the fire out," he told Newshub, standing next to his burnt-out car holding his three chihuahuas.
Footage of the incident obtained by Newshub showed the car engulfed in flames.
"I love my car and I bought the car because of the colour of the upholstery for the dogs, so I'm a bit pissed off and going to have to find a new one," Harris said.
Specialist fire investigator Colin Melville said hybrid vehicle fires could have extremely dangerous consequences.
"[It] creates a hazard for firefighting personnel and also a risk of potential reignition - making it very difficult for us to extinguish."
Melville said Fire and Emergency New Zealand was upskilling its staff to deal with the hazards and risks of hybrid vehicles.
