Major Carrier Abruptly Bans Electric Vehicle Shipments

Staff
By Staff
3 Min Read

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When it comes to global logistics, it seems no

news is good news.

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If a transoceanic journey of goods goes without

a hitch,

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you never hear about it.

But when things go wrong,

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they can go very wrong.

And we’ve seen that play out in several

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dramatic fires in the past few years that have

resulted in high-profile tales of doomed cargo

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ships.

Most recently, an incident involving the cargo

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carrier Morning Midas led to millions in losses

after a fire broke out and the ship sank.

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Off the coast of Alaska with more than 3,000

vehicles on board.

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At issue was concern over the electric and

hybrid electric vehicles, and suggestions that

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the fire broke out on the deck with the EVs.

And whether or not the electrics caused the

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fire is one thing.

The other is that once lithium-ion batteries

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catch fire, they can be notoriously difficult

to extinguish.

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Well, one major player in Pacific cargo

transportation has drawn a line in the sand

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when it comes to this.

Matson Inc.

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Has announced that it is halting shipments of

vehicles powered by large lithium-ion batteries.

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Matson added that it would cease booking these

types of shipments effective immediately due to

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increasing concern over safety.

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Matson is headquartered in Honolulu and is a

major shipper of EVs to the Hawaiian Islands in

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Alaska, meaning certain buyers will have fewer

options due to the change.

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That said, they note that this issue may not be

a permanent one.

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Matson’s style of storage, where each vehicle

is kept in an individual container versus on

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vast open storage decks, complicates fire

detection efforts,

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according to Car Scoops.

The company said it will continue to support

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industry efforts to develop comprehensive

standards and procedures to address fire risk

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posed by lithium-ion batteries at sea.

If its safety requirements can ultimately be

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met, Matson says it will resume shipments of

electrics.

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I’m Anna Wells, and this is Manufacturing Now.

 

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