Automakers generally try to avoid costly supply chain disruptions that can delay vehicle shipments, but one ship packed with hundreds of EVs and other models recently had other ideas. The vessel, loaded with around 3,000 vehicles, had to be abandoned yesterday due to an uncontrolled fire.
Around 800 of the Morning Midas ship’s total load were EVs, but it’s unclear which brands the cars came from or what caused the blaze. The crew reported initiating firefighting procedures but said they were unable to control the fire. All 22 crew members made it off the ship safely before being transferred to a nearby merchant vessel. The Coast Guard reported zero injuries and said it had three ships on the scene to assist.
We don’t yet know how many of the 3,000 are a complete loss, but the number could be significant, especially considering that the fire has burned uncontrolled for more than a day at this point. The disaster will be costly for the automakers involved either way, as losses of this nature extend far beyond the costs to replace damaged or destroyed vehicles.
High-profile maritime disasters have happened a few times in recent years, including the Felicity Ace, which sank in 2022 due to a fire, and another ship sank a few years earlier carrying Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
[Images: Mister Din, Rangsarit Chaiyakun, Audley C Bullock via Shutterstock]
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