Porsche blamed for devastating cargo ship EV fire as lawsuits filed against Volkswagen Group
A fire broke out on a ship carrying luxury cars in 2022, costing at least $236 million. Now a lawsuit alleges a Porsche EV was to blame.
On the Road
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News.
German vehicle manufacturer Volkswagen Group has been slapped with two separate lawsuits stemming from a fire that sunk a roll-on roll-off cargo ship.
In February 2022, a fierce fire broke out on Felicity Ace while the ship was near the Azores, an archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic that is part of Portugal.
The ship, which was carrying 3965 luxury vehicles from Germany to the United States, later capsized and sank at an estimated cost of at least $236 million ($US155 million).
All 22 members of the crew managed to escape unharmed, but the boat was left adrift.
The ship had ben transporting vehicles from Volkswagen Group, with brands on board including Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti and Volkswagen.
Initially, it was unclear how the fire started.
But now, the blame is being put squarely on Porsche, with the plaintiffs blaming the lithium-ion battery of a Porsche model, Bloomberg reports.
Multiple plaintiffs, including the ship’s Japanese operator Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd. and German insurer Allianz SE, are involved in a suit filed in Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg.
Volkswagen’s Porsche unit is based in the Germany city. Volkswagen Group is controlled by Porsche SE, which is in turn controlled by the Porsche-Piëch family.
Another suit has been filed in the central Germany city Braunschweig.
It’s alleged that Volkswagen Group did not properly inform the plaintiffs about the risk of electric vehicle (EV) fires, and how to adequately prepare the cars for transport.
The cases were filed last year but are yet to progress to trial as the parties attempt to resolve procedural issues.
Last year Panama-registered cargo ship Fremantle Highwaycaught fire off the coast of the Netherlands with about 4000 vehicles on board.
One crewmen was reported dead while the rest of the crew, mostly Indian nationals, were able to escape.
The ship’s Japanese owners, Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd, immediately blamed electric cars for the blaze. The vessel was later towed to Eemshaven in Groningen.
The International Maritime Organisation has been planning to roll out new safeguards for ships that electric vehicles, with a growing number of ship fires blamed on the cars.
Dutch shipping organisation KVNR has also called for increased regulation for the transportation of EVs.
EV fires burn with more intensity that standard fires, and can spontaneously reignite.
According to Drive.com.au, EV battery fires release toxic gases and can be difficult extinguish.
However, EV fires are rare — and much less common that fires in petrol and diesel vehicles.
More Coverage
Originally published as Porsche blamed for devastating cargo ship EV fire as lawsuits filed against Volkswagen Group
Aussie EV war erupts: ‘Shameful’
The boss of one of the biggest car companies in Australia has slammed a rival over the pricing of its electric vehicles.
Dirt bike ‘hoon’ sent flying in wild crash
Wild dashcam footage has captured the moment a speeding dirt bike collides with a car at a Canberra roundabout, sending the rider flying onto the roof.