On the 1st of August, 2023, a fire broke out on the Fremantle Highway, a ship carrying 3,783 cars, in the northern sea of the Netherlands. The vessel was en route from Germany to Greece when the incident occurred.
Additional information regarding the cars on the Fremantle Highway has been revealed. It has been reported that the ship was carrying some Rolls-Royce luxury cars, although the exact number is unknown. Furthermore, two German car manufacturers, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, have confirmed that the ship was transporting hundreds of their vehicles.
The ship carries luxury cars from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Rolls-Royce
The specific models of the BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Rolls-Royce cars on the Fremantle Highway have not been disclosed yet. Rolls-Royce is currently contacting its customers to inform them about this unfortunate incident. The companies may have to produce additional vehicles to compensate for the ones that were supposed to be delivered.
Tragically, the ship fire caused extensive property damage and resulted in the loss of one crew member’s life. A total of seven crew members had to jump into the sea to escape the flames. They were later rescued by a boat and a helicopter.
The exact cause of the fire has not been officially announced. However, preliminary information suggests that the lithium-ion batteries of electric cars may have sparked the Fremantle Highway fire. It is known that the ship was carrying a total of 498 electric cars.
The ship fire may have been caused by the electric car batteries
The crew members attempted to extinguish the fire when it first broke out but were unsuccessful. According to Germany’s Bild newspaper, approximately 800 cars on the ship remained intact after the fire was brought under control.
The Fremantle Highway ship has been extinguished and towed ashore
If the fire indeed originated from the electric car batteries, it can be extremely challenging to extinguish. Extinguished lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles have the potential to reignite. This is why fires involving electric cars often require firefighters to dedicate more time, effort, and water to fully extinguish them. Firefighters may even need to submerge the electric vehicle in water or place it in an airtight container to prevent battery reignition.
In recent times, electric cars have raised concerns among shipping companies. Earlier this year, Norwegian shipping company Havila Krystruten announced that it would no longer transport electric cars or electrified vehicles (hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or fuel cell cars) on its ships due to safety concerns. This decision came shortly after the Felicity Ace ship, carrying almost 4,000 cars from the Volkswagen Group, including electric vehicles, experienced a fire incident in the Atlantic Ocean.
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