More than 30 Chinese-made cars that caught fire on Wednesday had seemingly already been sold. 

The Jaecoo vehicles had been bought by customers, according to a representative, and were in the care of National Vehicle Distribution (NVD).

Black smoke filled the sky of the port city of Southampton as 33 cars burned in the docks.

The vehicles were estimated to be worth more than £900,000 in total, based on a starting price of £27,505 per vehicle. 

Ten fire engines attended the blaze at the Western Docks in Southampton.

Emergency crews were called to the scene at 4.20am, and the fire was brought under control by 6am.

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.

The burnt-out cars are still at the site, surrounded by cordons waiting to be moved.

Thirty-three Jaecoo SUV electric vehicles worth almost £1million have been engulfed in a fire at Southampton docks

Huge plumes of smoke filled the air after the blaze broke out in the early hours of Wednesday

Damage was seen done to the electric cars at the storage compound in West Bay Road

A spokesperson for Jaecoo UK said the company had been informed of the fire, that it was reported at around 4am, brought under control within an hour, and was under investigation. 

Associated British Ports (ABP) own the land at the docks and their security were ushering reporters away from the site.

Food technician Jacek Majchrzak, 44, who lives near the docks, said: ‘I got up at about 5am this morning and heard some sounds like ‘boom, boom’ or something.

‘I ignored it and kept on going around doing stuff before work. I checked my calendar and saw it was bin collection day so I went out and I saw it. I think ‘what on earth is going on’.

‘It’s thick black smoke and I can hear small explosions. I text my neighbours but by the time they were up at 6am it was gone. I thought it was rubbish disposal or recycling or something.’

Firefighters were called at about 4.20am to the site after reports of ‘explosions’

The cars involved are believed to be electric E5 vehicles from Chinese brand Jaecoo (stock pic)

The Jaecoo 7 was the UK’s most popular new car in March and the best-selling new car of 2026 to date according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 

It has been nicknamed the ‘Temu Range Rover’ because of its styling and lower price compared with luxury SUV brands. 

Some 10,000 Jaecoo 7s were registered in March alone, outselling the Ford Puma and Nissan Qashqai. 

Despite only going on sale in January 2025, 26,048 Jaecoo 7s were sold during 2025, making it the fourth most popular retail car in the UK.