This site has published an article about the fact that ship owners are asked to safeguard their ships from electric car fires. Here is an article, which dates back to January 2023, about a Norwegian ferry company which banned the transportation of electric vehicles on its ships.
The substantial fire risk associated with Li-Ion batteries in electric cars was highlighted following the nearly one-year-old sinking of the cargo ship Felicity Ace. According to statistics, electric vehicle fires do occur occasionally. The frequency of EV fires is lower than that of ICE car fires. However, because they are more difficult to put out, electrical vehicle fires provide a greater risk. Li-Ion batteries have extremely flammable electrolytes, and when thermal runaway events occur, chemical reactions produce oxygen. Because of this, extinguishing a Li-Ion battery fire calls for specialized firefighting methods and copious amounts of water.
Li-Ion battery fires occur at temperatures far greater than those of ICE flames due to the mix of oxygen and extremely combustible compounds. Shipping businesses face a dilemma since ships might be completely destroyed by high-temperature flames. The Felicity Ace cargo ship, which was carrying 4,000 cars, including electric vehicles, sank in February 2022 as a result of an internal fire that nearly destroyed the entire ship. Though the cause of the fire is unknown, the hundreds of electric vehicles on board prevented it from being put out. The ship’s hull was too damaged to support the fire after there was nothing left to burn.
The Norwegian ferry operator Havila Krystruten forbade electric cars from operating on its vessels. These comprise fuel-cell and hybrid cars in addition to electric vehicles. According to the media portal, this EV prohibition is only related to its four passenger ships which runs a cruise ferry coastal route primarily for tourists. It does not apply, however, to freight shipments. The reason why the said company has banned the transportation of EV vehicles, together with hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles is that the company does not have the necessary equipment to put out Li-Ion battery fires because of their faster and hotter burn.
A possible fire in electric, hybrid, or hydrogen cars will require external rescue efforts and can endanger people on board and the ships,” company’s CEO Bent Martini said to TradeWinds. “We take security seriously, and it is, of course, a risk we are under no circumstances willing to take.”
Now this was in 2023. A year later, in 2024, and as is mentioned in the introduction of this article, ship owners are asked to safeguard their ships from electric car fires. So now it is not only about ferry ships but it is has also extended to freight shipments.
Do you still want to comply to the government’s orders and buy an electric vehicle?