Car with zero safety score becomes a fireball on the street and generates debate in China

A compact sedan from the manufacturer MG Motor, a combustion MG5, was completely consumed by a fire on the night of May 17, while it was parked on a public road in the city of Ningbo, in the Chinese province of Zhejiang. So far, local safety authorities and the automaker have not issued an expert report or official statement detailing the causes of the incident.

The vehicle involved in the incident is the traditional gasoline-powered version of the sedan, a distinct design from the electric station wagon marketed globally as the MG5 EV. Video records and photographs shared by residents on Chinese social networks, such as WeChat and Rednote, revealed that the flames initially concentrated in the cabin and trunk area. The dynamics of the fire suggest that the ignition may have started outside the engine compartment, deviating from the usual pattern of frontal mechanical failures.

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Financial loss and history of failures

The fire resulted in total loss, reducing the car practically to the charred chassis. Acquired about two years ago, the sedan did not have insurance coverage against property damage. In addition to the loss of the asset, the absence of a commercial liability policy leaves the owner vulnerable to additional costs. Mandatory vehicle insurance in China offers a maximum coverage of only 2,000 yuan (approximately R$ 1,400) for damage to third parties, an amount that may be insufficient to repair the damage caused to vegetation and property in the surroundings.

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The episode aggravates the moment of scrutiny over the reliability of the MG5. The model had already faced strong questions in the international market since 2023, when it received the unprecedented score of zero in crash tests from ANCAP (Australasian road safety agency) due to serious deficiencies in structural protection.

On the domestic scene, the case reheated the public debate about the thermal risk of combustion cars compared to electric vehicles. Recent incidents involving battery-powered models such as the Wuling Binguo and Xiaomi SU7 had monopolized discussions about safety, pushing government regulators to announce a new testing standard for batteries scheduled for July 2026.