Hawaiian Shipping Giant Bans Evs And Plug-in Hybrids Over Fire Risk

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The world quality of car accumulation makes shipping by oversea a necessity. However, nan maturation of electrical and hybrid vehicles fitted pinch lithium-ion batteries has created a fiery nightmare for maritime shipping companies. Matson, Inc., a multi-billion-dollar cognition based successful Honolulu, Hawaii, took a drastic measurement to protect its cargo vessel past period by banning EVs and hybrids. Hopefully, nan prohibition won't beryllium permanent, arsenic Matson stated that nan suspension will beryllium lifted erstwhile capable information solutions are implemented.

Unlike nan dedicated car carriers that person caught fire, Matson uses instrumentality ships to carrier cars on routes crossed nan Pacific Ocean. This method creates 2 problems. First, really do you observe erstwhile a car catches occurrence wrong a container? Second, really do you extinguish nan blaze wrong nan metallic box? Matson seemingly recovered a occurrence consequence solution, nan HydroPen. The instrumentality tin drill a spread into a instrumentality successful nether 9 seconds earlier flooding nan container pinch water. A solution for nan 2nd problem has yet to beryllium found. According to the Maritime Executive, Matson sent retired a missive to its customers, which read:

"Due to expanding interest for nan information of transporting vehicles powered by ample lithium-ion batteries, Matson is suspending acceptance of utilized aliases caller electrical vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles for carrier aboard its vessels. Effective immediately, we person ceased accepting caller bookings for these shipments to/from each trades."

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It's not clear if Matson's determination was made successful guidance to nan fire onboard nan Morning Midas successful June. The vessel burned to a crisp 300 miles southwest of Alaska arsenic it was moving 3,048 cars from China to Mexico. There were 70 electrical vehicles and 681 hybrids onboard. The occurrence raged uncontrollably for 3 weeks until nan alloy sank. Thankfully, each 22 unit members evacuated and different merchant vessel adjacent rescued them. 

It wouldn't beryllium nan first clip that nan institution adopted caller policies successful guidance to a disaster impacting different shipper. Matson implemented its first group of lithium artillery information guidelines aft the occurrence connected nan Felicity Ace successful 2022. The mid-Atlantic inferno destroyed astir 4,000 Volkswagen Group vehicles and led to nan full vessel capsizing. It's estimated that arsenic overmuch arsenic $400 cardinal successful cargo was lost. Understandably, Matson would prohibition vehicles fitted pinch lithium-ion batteries to protect its crews, its vessels and nan cargo of different customers.