Summarised by Centrist
A crash in Auckland’s Parnell left one person dead after an electric bus erupted into flames on Tāmaki Drive.
Witnesses described frantic rescue attempts as the fire spread beyond control. Fire and Emergency warned that the area remained hazardous due to the bus’s electric battery, which can reignite even after being put out.
16 fire trucks were unable to bring it under control as flames rose up “three to four metres high”.
By morning, emergency crews were still battling the fire, with police saying the lithium batteries made the vehicle “prone to reigniting.” Witnesses described firefighters’ efforts as “fruitless” as the bus continued to flare. Auckland Transport currently operates 224 electric buses across its fleet.
The blaze shut a major city route through the morning peak and caused widespread disruption. Auckland Transport said it was working with police and fire investigators to determine what happened.
The tragedy has renewed debate about the safety of electric vehicles, particularly the high-intensity battery fires that can resist conventional firefighting methods and threaten both passengers and emergency crews.
Emergency services confirmed multiple injuries and one fatality, with officials warning it may take days to fully secure the site.
Investigative journalist Ian Wishart, who has long warned about the risks of EV fires, said the city remains unprepared for the severe commuter disruptions they can cause and that the latest blaze is only a sign of things to come.
Editor’s note: Read Ian Wishart’s Centrist Exclusive series NZ Unprepated for EV fire Risks Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.
