Matson Bans EVs after Latest Ship Fire

Questions: Will Pasha follow suit?  Does Matson's ban extend to shipments of lithium batteries for consumer products and for solar installations?

Matson has recently begun sending the following message to all customers:

Dear Matson Customer,

Due to increasing concern for the safety of transporting vehicles powered by large lithium-ion batteries, Matson is suspending acceptance of used or new electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles for transport aboard its vessels.

Effective immediately, we have ceased accepting new bookings for these shipments to/from all trades.

Matson continues to support industry efforts to develop comprehensive standards and procedures to address fire risk posed by lithium-ion batteries at sea and plans to resume acceptance of them when appropriate safety solutions that meet our requirements can be implemented.

If you have any questions, please contact your local account executive or our Customer Service Center at 1-800-4MATSON (800-462-8766) or customerservice@matson.com.

Thank you for shipping with Matson.

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PDF: 2025-mtf-safe-carriage-of-evs-1.pdf

KITV:  In March, the Maritime Technologies Forum released a study on EV battery hazards aboard ships. The report found that lithium-ion battery fires are nearly impossible to stop once triggered, releasing flammable and toxic gases.  That danger became reality earlier this year, when a cargo ship near Alaska caught fire. The vessel, carrying more than 700 electric cars, was abandoned by the crew for safety reasons.

KITV: Electric vehicles will be harder to access in Hawaii -- This is from a carrier that moves about 30,000 vehicles to and from Hawaiʻi every year, a growing number of EVs and hybrids.

PBN: Matson halts EV shipments to Hawaii over battery fire risks - Pacific Business News

USGC: UPDATE 3: Coast Guard responds to vessel fire offshore Adak, Alaska > United States Coast Guard News > Press Releases

GC: Coast Guard Overflight Footage Reveals Fire Spreading on Morning Midas Car Carrier Off Alaska Coast

AP: Salvage crew heads to cargo ship fire off Alaska | AP News

ME: Burned-Out Car Carrier Sinks in Pacific Three Weeks After Fire Began -- The loss of Morning Midas is the second large car carrier to sink recently with Felicity Ace lost in February 2022, south of the Azores in another incident that also involved electric vehicles. The following year, in July 2023, the Fremantle Highway caught fire off the coast of the Netherlands in another casualty involving electric vehicles. That vessel was a total loss but was salvaged and towed to a port.