A cargo ship carrying approximately 3,000 vehicles — including 800 electric vehicles (EVs) — caught fire in the Pacific Ocean earlier this week. The Morning Midas, a 600-foot-long roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel, was en route from Yantai, China, to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, when smoke was first reported Tuesday on the deck loaded with EVs.
The incident echoes concerns raised in previous maritime disasters involving lithium-ion batteries.
EVs and Maritime Fire Risk
Electric vehicles are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which are difficult to extinguish once ignited.
Zodiac Maritime, the ship’s London-based operator, confirmed that the fire began in the section where EVs were stored. As flames spread, the vessel’s 22 crew members were forced to abandon ship approximately 300 miles southwest of Alaska.
The U.S. Coast Guard dispatched aircrews and a cutter to assist in the rescue.
The Morning Midas crew was safely transferred to one of three nearby merchant ships that also worked to contain the fire. Zodiac Maritime has yet to confirm which automakers’ vehicles were on board.
