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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.

“This is a challenging and dangerous situation,” said a U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson. “Fighting EV fires at sea requires specific tactics and an abundance of caution.”

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Morning Midas:  RoRo Ship Designed for Wheeled Cargo

The Morning Midas, like many modern car carriers, is a roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) ship designed for the efficient transport of wheeled cargo.

These vessels have multiple enclosed decks that can hold thousands of cars, including EVs, which pose unique risks due to their batteries. The tightly packed layout and limited firefighting resources at sea make fire suppression especially difficult.

According to Jalopnik, extinguishing an EV fire can take over 36,000 gallons of water. Saltwater isn’t a safe alternative, as its conductivity can worsen battery fires.

Remembering the Felicity Ace Disaster

The Morning Midas fire draws immediate comparisons to the 2022 blaze aboard the Felicity Ace, a 650-foot cargo ship carrying 4,000 luxury vehicles from Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche, and Volkswagen.

That fire, also fueled by lithium-ion batteries, raged for days before the vessel eventually sank in the Atlantic Ocean.

“I’m just glad no one was hurt,” said The Smoking Tire host Matt Farah, who lost a custom Porsche Boxster Spyder in the Felicity Ace fire.

Like the Morning Midas, the Felicity Ace proved how ill-prepared current maritime procedures are for EV fires.

Moving Forward with Caution

As EV production continues to rise globally, the maritime industry faces urgent questions about safety.