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Blaze Sends Ship Carrying Hundreds Of Chinese EVs To Bottom Of Pacific
Daily Caller ^ | June 24, 2025 | Melissa O'Rourke

Posted on 06/24/2025 1:14:35 PM PDT by Red Badger

A vehicle carrier transporting hundreds of Chinese electric vehicles (EV) sank in the Pacific Ocean after catching fire, fueling renewed concerns about the hazard associated with EV batteries, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The Morning Midas was carrying approximately 3,000 cars, including around 800 EVs, most of which were manufactured in China, according to the WSJ. While the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, lithium-ion batteries used in many EVs are known to be highly flammable, and have been linked to similar maritime incidents in the past.

The ship had been drifting in the ocean after a fire broke out on June 3, prompting the crew to abandon the vessel. At the time of the incident, the vessel was en route to Mexico.

Several similar incidents involving ships carrying EVs have occurred in recent years. Experts linked a 2022 incident, in which a cargo ship transporting thousands of cars went down in the Atlantic Ocean after catching fire, to a large number of lithium-ion batteries on board, the WSJ noted.

Additionally, the insurance company Allianz recently issued a report warning about the risks of shipping vehicles containing lithium-ion batteries, citing a series of recent fires on vessels, ports and battery facilities. A notable case in 2024 involved a fire and explosion on a container ship docked at a Chinese port, which is thought to have been triggered by a container carrying hazardous materials, including lithium batteries.

“The latest car carriers are able to transport as many as 10,000 electric vehicles. Should something go wrong, that’s a lot of value, and risk to the environment and to the safety of seafarers,” the report read.

Highlighting the potential environmental consequences of the Morning Midas’ sinking, elevated levels of toxic metals were detected near a battery storage facility that burned down in California earlier this year.

The investigation into the cause of the fire aboard the Morning Midas is expected to take several weeks or even months, the WSJ previously reported. Typically, shipowners will hire private salvagers to investigate along with the ship’s insurers and the country of registration, which is Liberia.

Promoting EVs has been a priority for many Democratic leaders, including former President Joe Biden, who implemented new regulations and tax credits to incentivize their production. Additionally, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035, though the rule was recently blocked by the Republican-controlled Congress and President Donald Trump.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Education; History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: china; electricvehicle; electricvehicles; ev; evs; lithium; mexico
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1 posted on 06/24/2025 1:14:35 PM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

It finally sank?

There were salvage vessels and or sea going tugs at her location.

That changes the equation on transporting Chinese EVs at all.

There’s still many railroads to get these cars to Russia, Europe and Africa.


2 posted on 06/24/2025 1:22:51 PM PDT by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: texas booster

They should ship the batteries separately or build them here instead.....................


3 posted on 06/24/2025 1:23:51 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

Oversized electric golf cart fanbois hardest hit.


4 posted on 06/24/2025 1:25:38 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: Red Badger

California EV dreamers stumped - when suddenly there is no insurance for EV vehicles.


5 posted on 06/24/2025 1:28:09 PM PDT by linMcHlp
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To: Red Badger

A Yuge win for da erf........

sarc


6 posted on 06/24/2025 1:28:48 PM PDT by Paladin2 (YMMV)
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To: Red Badger

Crazy.

I have read of knowledgable people who say that the Insurers are eventually going to jack up the insurance for drivers on those cars, raise homeowner insurance if you own one and park it in the garage, and ban the transport of EVs on regular ferries.

Not to mention the maritime insurance which would increase the shipping costs.

I can completely see how these things can happen.

Although I can also see how things like a huge continuing resolution bill with hundreds of items in it could contain legislation that would prohibit insurers from doing this because electric vehicles are deemed a protected industry.


7 posted on 06/24/2025 1:30:42 PM PDT by rlmorel (To Leftists, Conservative Speech is Violence, while they view their Violence as Speech.)
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To: Red Badger

I just replaced a tablet after the battery swelled up so badly the screen came unsealed from the case; by the last day of use I was holding it with my thumb in between the case and the screen because the screen was lifted more than 3/8”. Li-Ion batteries have serious issues, and now I have to think where I store any devices that have them, to try to mitigate the risk of a fire if they overheat.


8 posted on 06/24/2025 1:33:15 PM PDT by EnderWiggin1970
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To: Red Badger

That ship is still in the box it came in.


9 posted on 06/24/2025 1:33:23 PM PDT by Palio di Siena (Kralik…..you get the wallet)
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To: rlmorel; dfwgator; Frank Drebin

10 posted on 06/24/2025 1:34:10 PM PDT by Larry Lucido (Donate! Don't just post clickbait!)
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To: texas booster

Democrap EV cheerleaders should be made to ride on these transporters.


11 posted on 06/24/2025 1:38:45 PM PDT by Noumenon (You can evade reality, but you cannot evade the consequences of evading reality. KTF)
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To: Red Badger

If these were Chinese made, China needs to get them out of the water and take them back.


12 posted on 06/24/2025 1:43:59 PM PDT by johniegrad
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To: Red Badger

So now all the lithium in the bottom of the ocean can come loose and contaminate the ocean water and go around the world entering the world’s soil?

Yes? No?


13 posted on 06/24/2025 1:47:43 PM PDT by Beowulf9
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To: rlmorel

A Jacksonville fl airport garage was damaged to the tune of 38 million a few weeks ago. The fire started in a vehicle. Attempts to find out if it was an EV have been met with zero info.


14 posted on 06/24/2025 1:47:59 PM PDT by Mouton (There is a new sheriff and deputy in town to now!)
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To: Larry Lucido; SunkenCiv; Rennes Templar; Ezekiel; martin_fierro

If these had been Hondas, we might have had SunkenCiv-ics.

Whatever floats your boat. Or doesn’t.


15 posted on 06/24/2025 1:55:46 PM PDT by The Spirit Of Allegiance (Public Employees: Honor Your Oaths! Defend the Constitution from Enemies--Foreign and Domestic!)
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To: Red Badger

I thought at first Glenn Beck is really going overboard this time.


16 posted on 06/24/2025 2:07:36 PM PDT by Wilderness Conservative (Nature is the ultimate conservative)
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To: Beowulf9

No. The oceans already contain over 230,000,000,000 TONS of lithium.


17 posted on 06/24/2025 2:18:17 PM PDT by TexasGator (1FDD logo About Issues Projects Products Connect Subscribe Invest June 19, 2025 | Insight '1-1111 -)
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To: Red Badger

“the vessel was en route to Mexico.”

To try and dump on our market?


18 posted on 06/24/2025 2:21:03 PM PDT by HYPOCRACY (Wake up, smell the cat food in your bank account. )
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To: doorgunner69
"Oversized electric golf cart fanbois hardest hit."

The earliest golf cars were gas powered.

An oversized gas golf cart:


19 posted on 06/24/2025 2:25:06 PM PDT by TexasGator (1FDD logo About Issues Projects Products Connect Subscribe Invest June 19, 2025 | Insight '1-1111 -)
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To: EnderWiggin1970

34 people were killed due to this in this ship. Scuba divers trapped.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_MV_Conception


20 posted on 06/24/2025 2:59:03 PM PDT by packrat35 (Pureblood! No clot shot for me!)
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