A significant fire broke out in the early hours at Southampton docks, destroying thirty-three Jaecoo E5 electric SUVs worth over £900,000. Firefighters responded to reports of explosions, deploying extensive resources to control the blaze. No injuries were reported, but residents were warned to keep windows closed due to thick, acidic-smelling smoke. The cause remains under investigation.
Thirty-three Jaecoo SUV vehicles worth more than £900,000 have been engulfed in a fire at Southampton docks. Firefighters were called at about 4.20am today to a site on West Bay Road after locals reported 'explosions'.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said 33 hybrid vehicles were involved. But the cars are believed to be electric E5 vehicles from the Chinese brand Jaecoo - prices for which start from £27,505 apiece. Pictures show a number of vehicles with significant damage - with some completely gutted - while huge black plumes of smoke filled the air.
At the height of the incident there were 10 fire engines, two water carriers, an aerial ladder platform and support vehicles at the scene, the fire service said. Residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed. There were no reported injuries. One nearby local, who asked not to be named, told the Daily Echo: 'It woke me up around 3.30am.
After a while, I got up to find out what was causing so much noise and that's when I saw the smoke.
'I called the fire service at around 4.20am and was told the incident had already been reported. The car horns and explosions were quite loud.
'By about 5.40am, it looked as though the fire had been put out. The smoke was very thick and had an acidic smell.
' The cause of the fire is currently unknown. Associated British Ports, which operates the dockyard, said: 'There has been a fire in a vehicle storage compound in the Western Docks area of the Port of Southampton. All personnel are safely accounted for.
'The fire is well under control and has impacted around 25 vehicles. 'ABP staff are supporting the incident response services in their work. ' The company's website describes the Southampton docks as 'the UK's number one vehicle handling port, processing 600,000 vehicles per year'. The cars involved are believed to be electric E5 vehicles from Chinese brand Jaecoo.
Jaecoo is the SUV sub-brand from China's largest car exporter Chery. The E5 Electric model uses a 61.1 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate battery and has an official range of 248 miles. The firm's Jaecoo 7 car has been nicknamed the 'Temu Range Rover' but has been praised by fans for its low cost compared to luxury-brand SUVs.
In March, the Jaecoo 7 was the most popular new car in the UK, and it became the most sold new car of 2026 to date, based on the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). A total of 10,064 Jaecoo 7s were registered in March alone, outperforming the Puma and Qashqai.
Despite going on sale only in January 2025, 26,048 Jaecoo 7s were sold last year, making it the fourth most popular retail car in the UK. Chery operates in Europe through its eponymous brand and subsidiaries including not only Jaecoo but also Jetour and Omoda. It accounted for 2 per cent of total registrations in Europe between January and April
Jaecoo SUV Fire Southampton Docks Electric Vehicles Chery
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