“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.”
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.
