A large car carrier packed with thousands of vehicles, including several hundred electric and hybrid models, is drifting and still smouldering in the Pacific Ocean. A blaze broke out on board – an incident that once again puts the spotlight on the growing safety concerns around transporting electrified vehicles by sea.
The Morning Midas, a Ro-Ro ship sailing under the Liberian flag, was en route from Yantai, China, to Mexico, when smoke was first detected on one of the cargo decks with electric cars. The vessel, operated by Zodiac Maritime and owned by London-based Hawthorn Navigation, had departed China on 26 May and was scheduled to arrive in Mexico by mid-June.
Manufacturers yet unknown
On board were 3,159 vehicles, including 65 fully electric and 681 hybrid electric models, according to figures released by its operator and the US Coast Guard. While the manufacturers of the transported cars have not yet been disclosed, attention has focused on the presence of EVs and the associated fire risks posed by their (lithium-ion) batteries.
The fire broke out along the coast of Alaska. Despite the crew’s attempts to control the flames, the situation quickly deteriorated. As a consequence, all 22 crew members were safely evacuated to a nearby merchant vessel with help from the US Coast Guard.
A troubling trend?
Smoke continues to pour from the stricken vessel. A tugboat has been deployed to aid in firefighting and stabilisation efforts. The incident is the latest in a series of high-profile maritime fires involving electric vehicles (EVs), a trend troubling experts due to the extreme heat generated by battery fires, their ability to reignite, and the large quantities of water required to extinguish them.
The episode evokes memories of previous maritime disasters, including the 2022 loss of the Felicity Ace, which sank near the Azores with nearly 4,000 luxury vehicles – including models from Porsche, Bentley, and Audi – on board. Investigators suspected lithium-ion battery fires were to blame, more specifically, a Porsche model, though no definitive cause was confirmed.
One year later, it happened again, as the Fremantle Highway caught fire off the Dutch coast with almost 3,800 vehicles aboard, including 498 electric cars. Dutch investigators later pointed to thermal runaway in an EV battery as the probable cause. The fire raged for days, resulting in one fatality and several injuries, before the blackened ship was eventually towed into Eemshaven port.
Fires in enclosed steel hulls
The Morning Midas fire contributes to growing calls for regulatory and industry action to address the mounting safety challenges associated with the global shipment of electric cars.
A recent report by Allianz Commercial highlighted a sharp increase in shipboard fires in 2024, the highest in a decade, attributing this mainly to the growing global trade in EVs. The report warned that the sheer scale of modern car carriers, coupled with the difficulty of containing fires in enclosed steel hulls, hampers emergency responses. Allianz also flagged poor battery checks, undeclared cargo, and undertrained crews as critical risk factors.
With China’s electric vehicle manufacturers, including industry giants like BYD, heavily investing in their own maritime fleets to support their expansion plans, experts say the need for tighter safety standards aboard Ro-Ro ships has never been more urgent.
