Due to fire risk, shipping companies raise concern on EV transportation and storage

Concern on ferrying electric vehicles (EV) has been raised by shipping companies and ferry businesses as Havila Kystruten, a Norwegian shipping company, bans EVs on its ships, reports GoAutoNews Premium.

The company said it will prohibit EVs onboard their vessel citing as the risk EV fire is considered “too severe.” When thermal runaway (overheating) occurs in a battery, it is a chain reaction that can be rather difficult to stop once started.

"An electric car fire gets very hot, and there may be a risk of explosion where toxic gases will be released. This can mean that you have to evacuate the ship immediately and in the worst case you can have a total breakdown of the ship,” said Lasse A. Vangstein, Head of Communications at Havila Kystruten, to Norwegian television NRK.

Also read: EVs could catch fire days after crash, and keep reigniting for up to a week

Mike Phillips, partner at Watson Farley & Williams law firm, said in a report as cited by GoAutoNews Premium, “Although it is not clear whether EVs are more likely than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to catch fire, it is common ground that the consequences are potentially more disastrous and more difficult to handle.”

“The component materials of the batteries mean that the fires are very energetic and traditional firefighting techniques do not necessarily work. This will differentiate the risk of EVs from ICE cars when carried on board ships,” he added.

ICE vehicles are typically transported with minimal fuel to reduce weight and for fire safety concerns. Vehicles with excess fuel can still be siphoned before boarding the cargo, but the same cannot be applied to EVs with high state of charge (SoC).

Research has shown that batteries with higher SoC has higher risk of ignition when exposed to heat and burns more violently when ignited. Looking from the point of fire safety, it is recommended to transport lithium ion batteries at a low SoC and away from heat source.

“With an increased use of EVs, ferry companies will see greater numbers carried on their fleets. This may represent an even higher risk, given that the vehicles will be a variety of ages and in a variety of charge states,” Phillips added.

Also read: Fire risk of underground EV charging facilities - UK, Korea, Singapore raise concern