A car carrier sailing from China to Mexico caught fire in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Alaska on Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of its crew and highlighting the growing risks associated with shipping electric vehicles (EVs).
The vessel, Morning Midas, was carrying approximately 3,000 vehicles, including 800 EVs, when smoke was first seen rising from a deck loaded with electric cars, according to Zodiac Maritime, the ship’s London-based management company. All 22 crew members evacuated safely after efforts to extinguish the blaze failed.
The Liberia-flagged carrier departed from Yantai port, China, on May 26, bound for Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, according to ship-tracking data cited by Reuters. The Morning Midas is a 46,800-ton car carrier built in 2006 by Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry in China.
The fire brings attention to safety concerns surrounding lithium-ion batteries, which are widely used in EVs and are known to pose significant challenges in firefighting efforts. Insurance giant Allianz noted in a recent report that EV fires at sea can be difficult to control, sometimes requiring up to 8,000 gallons of water to cool the batteries.
The global surge in demand for lithium-ion batteries, driven by rapid growth in the EV market, is introducing new risks to maritime shipping, particularly for vessels transporting large numbers of electric cars.
As China’s EV sector expands, domestic automakers are investing in their own car carrier fleets. SAIC Motor leads with the largest fleet of car carriers, while BYD recently launched its seventh vessel to boost its maritime transport capabilities.
This incident serves as a reminder of the complexities and hazards facing the shipping industry as it adapts to the rise of electric vehicles and the logistics challenges they bring.