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Herald Sun
a day ago
- Automotive
- Herald Sun
Ship transporting thousands of cars sinks in Pacific after fire
Don't miss out on the headlines from Motoring. Followed categories will be added to My News. A ship holding thousands of cars sank in the Pacific Ocean on Monday, weeks after a fire broke out on a deck that was holding electric vehicles – stoking industry concerns around transporting highly flammable batteries. The 182-metre-long Morning Midas had been adrift at sea since June 3, when flames broke out and the crew was forced to abandon ship. The ship was carrying 3,000 cars, including 800 EVs, when it sank in international waters approximately three miles deep, according to the ship's owner, London-based Zodiac Maritime. It had been weakened by fire damage and intense weather, the company said. 'As a precaution, two salvage tugs containing pollution control equipment remain on site to monitor for any signs of pollution or debris. Their crews are safe,' Zodiac Maritime told The Post in a statement. 'A specialised pollution response vessel is also en route to the location as an additional precaution.' The company said it is working with the US Coast Guard and Resolve Marine, which specialises in marine emergency response. The Coast Guard and Resolve Marine did not immediately respond to The Post's requests for comment. Most of the vehicles on board the vessel were made in China and headed toward Mexico. The sinking raises concerns about the dangers of the highly flammable lithium-ion batteries typically used in electric vehicles. Just two weeks ago, Waymo was forced to suspend service of its driverless EVs in downtown Los Angeles after anti-ICE protesters set five of its vehicles ablaze. Police officers warned residents to steer clear of the melted metal heaps, since the batteries can release toxic fumes, like hydrogen fluoride, when set on fire. In 2022, a 60,000-ton cargo ship called the Felicity Ace carrying thousands of luxury cars sank in the Atlantic Ocean after a fire on board burned for nearly a week. Experts hired to salvage the ship said the large amount of lithium batteries likely caused the fire to spread and stay ablaze for longer. This story originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission Originally published as Cargo ship transporting thousands of cars sinks in Pacific after fire
New York Post
4 days ago
- Automotive
- New York Post
Ship transporting thousands of cars sinks in Pacific after fire, raising concerns about EV batteries
A ship holding thousands of cars sank in the Pacific Ocean on Monday, weeks after a fire broke out on a deck that was holding electric vehicles – stoking industry concerns around transporting highly flammable batteries. The 600-foot-long Morning Midas had been adrift at sea since June 3, when flames broke out and the crew was forced to abandon ship. The ship was carrying 3,000 cars, including 800 EVs, when it sank in international waters approximately three miles deep, according to the ship's owner, London-based Zodiac Maritime. The Morning Midas vessel had been adrift at sea since June 3, when a fire broke out. AP It had been weakened by fire damage and intense weather, the company said. 'As a precaution, two salvage tugs containing pollution control equipment remain on site to monitor for any signs of pollution or debris. Their crews are safe,' Zodiac Maritime told The Post in a statement. 'A specialized pollution response vessel is also en-route to the location as an additional precaution.' The company said it is working with the US Coast Guard and Resolve Marine, which specializes in marine emergency response. The Coast Guard and Resolve Marine did not immediately respond to The Post's requests for comment. Most of the vehicles on board the vessel were made in China and headed toward Mexico. The sinking raises concerns about the dangers of the highly flammable lithium-ion batteries typically used in electric vehicles. The ship had been weakened by fire damage and intense weather when it sank. USCoast Guard. Just two weeks ago, Waymo was forced to suspend service of its driverless EVs in downtown Los Angeles after anti-ICE protesters set five of its vehicles ablaze. Police officers warned residents to steer clear of the melted metal heaps, since the batteries can release toxic fumes, like hydrogen fluoride, when set on fire. In 2022, a 60,000-ton cargo ship called the Felicity Ace carrying thousands of luxury cars sank in the Atlantic Ocean after a fire on board burned for nearly a week. Experts hired to salvage the ship said the large amount of lithium batteries likely caused the fire to spread and stay ablaze for longer.
NZ Autocar
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
Another ship up in smoke with EVs blamed
A ship carrying a mix of cars has been abandoned in the Pacific Ocean, after fire broke out. It has burnt out of control for at least a week, with authorities unable to rescue the stricken vessel. The Morning Midas was carrying 3000 cars from China to Mexico when it caught fire about 450km southwest of Alaska. On board were 70 fully electric cars and 861 hybrids. Evidently, the fire broke out on one of the decks carrying the EVs. The US Coast Guard Alaska Division received a distress call at around 3.15pm last Tuesday. The crew of the Morning Midas were unable to get the fire under control so the US Coast Guard advised them to abandon ship. All 22 crew were flown to safety after being rescued by a nearby ship. Salvage operators appointed by the ship's owner, Zodiac Marine, are not expected to reach the vessel until today, almost a week after the fire took hold. Zodiac Marine said a tug heading to the ship 'will assess the vessel's condition and provide necessary support. An additional fire-fighting tug, capable of ocean towage, is also being arranged.' The incident has underlined the safety issues with transporting electric vehicles whose lithium-ion batteries can catch fire. Such fires are hard to extinguish, sometimes burning for a fortnight. All of the ship's fire suppression systems were 'fully operational' at the time of the incident. However the crew were unable to bring the fire under control. They were rescued by the nearby vessel Cosco Hellas after taking to lifeboats. The current status of the ship is unknown. Vehicles aboard the ship were bound for Mexico. The 46,800 tonne Morning Midas left the Chinese port of Yantai on May 6. This isn't the first time a car-carrying ship has burnt down with EVs on board. In 2023 the Fremantle Highway, a car-carrying ship, caught fire with about 3000 cars on board near the Netherlands. It followed the 2022 Felicity Ace disaster, a ship that caught fire in the Atlantic with around 4000 vehicles on board. That vessel capsized and sank with a full load of luxury vehicles aboard, including 1100 Porsches. Electric vehicle fires are notoriously difficult to put out. Thermal runaway fires involving electric cars cannot be stopped by conventional means. Following the Felicity Ace fire, Australian vehicle importer Neville Crichton said he had no doubt the incidents would drive up the retail price of vehicles, as insurance companies had dramatically increased the cost of coverage for cars at sea.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
U.S. Coast Guard Rescues 22 from Burning Car Carrier Hauling EVs Across the Pacific
A car-carrier ship known as the Morning Midas filled with hundreds of EVs has been evacuated by the U.S. Coast Guard some 300 miles off the coast of Alaska after an onboard fire engulfed the 600-foot cargo ship on Tuesday. The ship originated from Yantai, China, on May 26 and was bound for the port of Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, where it was reportedly set to deliver 3000 vehicles, according to a statement from the ship's management company Zodiac Maritime. Of those 3000 vehicles, Zodiac Maritime told Automotive News that the Morning Midas was carrying about 800 electric vehicles, though the manufacturer of these vehicles is not yet known. Zodiac Maritime said that the 22-person crew of the Morning Midas initiated firefighting procedures but were unsuccessful in putting out the blaze, prompting the U.S. Coast Guard to evacuate all 22 persons on board. A statement from the Alaska Maritime region of the U.S. Coast Guard said that there were no reported injuries from the fire or during the evacuation. Three USCG vessels initially arrived on scene, with a larger cutter ship and aircraft assets arriving later. This is not the first time in recent years that a boat carrying thousands of cars has sunk. The Felicity Ace, a Panamanian ship regularly contracted by the Volkswagen Group, sank in the North Atlantic Ocean back in 2022 due to an onboard fire allegedly fueled by an electric battery, bringing 4000 VW Group vehicles along with it. (Road & Track editor-at-large Matt Farah actually had a custom-ordered Porsche that sank inside the Felicity Ace.) Then, a Dutch ship known as the Fremantle Highway caught fire in the North Sea in 2023, killing one crew member and drowning a fleet of Rolls-Royces. Similarly, the Grande America sank in 2019 from an on-board fire, dooming a crop of ultra-rare Porsche 911 GT2 RS units. The implications of such an event for automakers are significant in its own right, but this most recent fire re-ignites debate about the safety of shipping electric vehicles. Following the fire and sinking of the Felicity Ace, a number of safety watchdog organizations as well as anti-EV pundits began to question the sanctity of shipping cars that could ignite into a relatively uncontrollable blaze. Allianz Commercial even confirmed to Reuters that such incidents were at the highest level ever in 2024. That being said, the Vehicle Carrier Safety Forum recently published a set of guidelines to further prepare ship crew for the potential of fire, and included specific actions meant to limit damage and danger should a blaze occur. While we don't know which manufacturers are affected by this sunken ship just yet, we do know that 3000 vehicles won't ever make it to dealership lots. That's not a drop in the bucket for any automaker, but the safety and security of all 22 crew members remains the most important factor. (This is a developing story; R&T will update it should more information come to light.) You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
Arabian Post
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Arabian Post
Electric Vehicle Blaze Forces Evacuation of Cargo Ship Off Alaska
A cargo ship transporting approximately 3,000 vehicles, including 800 electric models, was abandoned in the North Pacific Ocean after a fire erupted on board, compelling all 22 crew members to evacuate. The vessel, identified as the Morning Midas, was en route from Yantai, China, to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, when the incident occurred about 300 miles southwest of Adak Island, Alaska. Smoke was first observed emanating from a deck housing electric vehicles. Despite deploying the ship's CO₂ fire suppression system, the crew was unable to contain the blaze, leading to a complete evacuation via lifeboat. All crew members were safely rescued by the nearby merchant vessel Cosco Hellas. The Morning Midas, a 600-foot-long Pure Car and Truck Carrier built in 2006 and flagged under Liberia, is managed by London-based Zodiac Maritime. The company is coordinating with emergency responders and has dispatched a tugboat to assist with salvage and firefighting operations. The U.S. Coast Guard has also deployed air and sea resources to monitor the situation and support recovery efforts. ADVERTISEMENT The fire's origin remains under investigation, but initial reports suggest it began in the section of the ship carrying electric vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in EVs, are known to pose significant fire risks due to their flammable electrolyte and potential for thermal runaway. Once ignited, these batteries can be challenging to extinguish, often requiring large volumes of water and specialized firefighting techniques. This incident underscores growing concerns within the maritime industry regarding the transportation of electric vehicles. The increasing prevalence of EVs has introduced new safety challenges for cargo ships, particularly concerning fire hazards associated with lithium-ion batteries. Traditional fire suppression systems, like CO₂, may be insufficient to manage such fires, prompting calls for updated safety protocols and equipment. The Morning Midas fire is the latest in a series of maritime incidents involving electric vehicles. In 2022, the Felicity Ace, a cargo ship carrying nearly 4,000 vehicles, including numerous EVs, caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean and eventually sank. Investigations suggested that a lithium-ion battery may have been the fire's source. Similarly, in 2023, the Fremantle Highway experienced a fire off the Dutch coast while transporting 3,783 vehicles, including 498 electric cars. Although the cause was later determined not to be related to the EVs, the incident highlighted the complexities of managing fires on ships carrying such cargo.
