Cargo ship carrying almost 3,000 cars aflame off Dutch coast

[oldbrownhat]

Story here.

It's suspected the fire on board the Fremantle Highway, en route from Germany to Egypt, may have started with an EV

"...It is estimated that approximately 350 of the 2,857 vehicles on board are new Mercedes-Benzes, though it isn’t exactly clear what brands make up the remainder of the manifest. It is suggested at least 25 cars on the stricken vessel are electric, but not necessarily Mercedes EVs; and that the fire may be traced back to such a battery-powered vehicle. EV fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish, owing to the chemicals involved and the chance of thermal runaway..."​

They're pouring water on it to cool it down, but too much will run the risk of sinking it - which would also cool it down, however

 

[mojave30cal]

Holy smoke!

 

[oldbrownhat]

Holy smoke!

(Electric) Chariots of Fire!

A really bad case of the Benz for the insurance company. And many five-star 12-course meals for the lawyers.

 

[Rudi]

Seems like the EVs frequently catch on fire.

 

[Rustyt1953]

We need a Deep Purple song here.

 

[s&wchad]

A cargo ship loaded with high end vehicles also burned last year. They blamed that one on EV's too.

Porsches and Lamborghinis and Bentleys - Oh My!!!

Fire that left cargo ship full of luxury cars stranded in the Atlantic may finally be going out | CNN Business

Add this to the long list of reasons why I'll NEVER have an EV parked in my garage!

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Here in NJ a home garage in Bernardsville was destroyed by an exploding battery, the family home is not habitable at present. A Mercedes-Benz loaner car exploded, destroyed a hiuse in Nocatee, FL.

 

[NYlakesider]

A cargo ship loaded with high end vehicles also burned last year. They blamed that one on EV's too.

Porsches and Lamborghinis and Bentleys - Oh My!!!

Fire that left cargo ship full of luxury cars stranded in the Atlantic may finally be going out | CNN Business

Add this to the long list of reasons why I'll NEVER have an EV parked in my garage!

IN my garage, heck I do not want one near my garage or any other source of burnable items!-

 

[Grayfox]

Didn't another shipload of cars catch fire just a week or so ago?
I remember it being on the news, but can't find the story now. Everything is about this current ship.

 

[mdf9183]

Yes, that was an Italian Ship carrying automobiles in Port Newark where two firefighters were killed,

 

[Truckman]

IN my garage, heck I do not want one near my garage or any other source of burnable items!-

Is your S&W collection kept in a safe secured by a battery-powered electronic lock?......Ben

 

[NYlakesider]

Is your S&W collection kept in a safe secured by a battery-powered electronic lock?......Ben

Yes it is. I have not heard of a electronic lock developing spontaneous combination.

It uses 2 9V batteries, they are a heck of a lot smaller than a battery than can power a large vechicle. They also are not hooked up to any kind of a charging device. They are also on the outside of the rather thick door.

 

[arjay]

Ya never know. I have two drills ,a leaf blower,a weed whacker,a lawn mower,a phone and an iPad all charging in the house… my last iPads battery got so hot when charging that the swollen battery popped the screen off of it

 

[gjgalligan]

I worked in the auto industry for over 42 years. Lots of electric fork trucks, man lifts, and other assorted equipment but I can't ever recall a fire in any of them.
Of course the new batteries are quite different now days.

 

[oldbrownhat]

I worked in the auto industry for over 42 years. Lots of electric fork trucks, man lifts, and other assorted equipment but I can't ever recall a fire in any of them.
Of course the new batteries are quite different now days.

Yup. Those batteries "of yesteryear" were lead acid, just like the 4, L-16 in my whole-house battery backup system.

When I eventually retire my 2011 Ford Ranger (probably only because I no longer need a pickup as they last forever) I might consider a hybrid SUV over an EV, but whether required by building codes or not, I'd likely put in a dedicated fire suppression system in the garage just for that. OTOH, by that time they may well be using a less dangerous battery technology.

 

[ladder13]

A couple torpedoes will put that fire out.

 

[s&wchad]

Lithium-ion batteries are OK for smaller electronics, but the bigger ones scare me. There's good reason the FAA and the USPS have restrictions on them.

A google search for "hoverboard fires" and "e-bike fire" comes up with an awful lot of hits. Here's just a couple articles:

As e-bikes proliferate, so do deadly fires blamed on exploding lithium-ion batteries - ABC News

Hoverboard fire burns NJ home, another catches flame a few miles away

 

[ameridaddy]

I worked in the auto industry for over 42 years. Lots of electric fork trucks, man lifts, and other assorted equipment but I can't ever recall a fire in any of them.
Of course the new batteries are quite different now days.

Different indeed. Those were lead-acid batteries, stable and recyclable, not the current 1,000-1,200 lb. lithium/cobalt time bombs.

 

[67tempest]

Took the grand kids to the Field museum in Chicago, parked in the Soldiers Field parking garage. There was a BIG sign outside the entrance to the garage that stated Chevrolet Bolts were not allowed inside the parking garage. I work at a Chevy dealer and there is currently a recall on Bolts due to an issue with them starting on fire. I wouldn't take one of those things if you gave it to me.

 

[oldbrownhat]

Took the grand kids to the Field museum in Chicago, parked in the Soldiers Field parking garage. There was a BIG sign outside the entrance to the garage that stated Chevrolet Bolts were not allowed inside the parking garage. I work at a Chevy dealer and there is currently a recall on Bolts due to an issue with them starting on fire. I wouldn't take one of those things if you gave it to me.

And they've just reintroduced the Bolt!

"...Earlier this year, Chevrolet announced it was discontinuing its first mass-market battery-electric vehicle, the Bolt. Technically in its second generation, the Bolt is far and away the best-selling EV in General Motors' lineup. Now, however, the automaker has announced the Bolt will return for a third iteration, and fast.

There's no timeline for the introduction of the new car, but it claims it's happening as quickly as the automaker can manage. The current car will still be discontinued at the end of the year, but the new Bolt will utilize much of what it currently has to offer, opting for an updated drivetrain instead of an all-new model..."

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