A cargo ship carrying over 3,000 new vehicles, including hundreds of electric and hybrid models, has sunk in the North Pacific Ocean, weeks after a fire forced its crew to abandon ship.
The Morning Midas, a 600-foot vehicle carrier operated by London-based Zodiac Maritime, went down during the late hours of Monday in waters roughly 415 miles off the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. The sinking follows a major onboard fire that began on June 3rd, leaving the vessel abandoned at sea.
The Fire That Took Down Morning Midas
The ship's troubles began earlier this month when a fire broke out near its stern, on the same deck where electric vehicles were being transported. The Morning Midas, which had departed from Yantai, China, on May 26, was en route to a major port in Mexico when the fire started.
Fortunately, all 22 crew members were evacuated safely into a lifeboat and later rescued by a passing merchant vessel, with no injuries reported.
Although salvage teams arrived days later, it was soon understood that worsening weather and extensive fire damage meant stabilising the ship was no longer possible. The vessel ultimately sank in waters around 5,000 metres deep, Zodiac Maritime confirmed in a statement.
Electric Vehicles in the Spotlight
According to reports, among the 3,048 vehicles on board, approximately 70 were fully electric, and 681 were hybrids. Although complete manifests have not been released, according to reports at the time, the shipment likely included vehicles from prominent Chinese brands such as SAIC Motor, Chery Automobile Co., and Great Wall Motor Co.
Photos released by the US Coast Guard during the initial response showed thick plumes of smoke billowing from the deck loaded with electric vehicles.
The fire's origin has not been officially confirmed, but lithium-ion battery-related incidents aboard ships have become an increasing concern for the global shipping industry, and early signs in this case suggest a similar cause.
Concerns Rise About Carrying EVs Via Sea
The loss of the Morning Midas follows similar incidents that have raised alarms about the safe transport of electric vehicles in the past. In 2023, a fire aboard a car carrier in the North Sea carrying nearly 500 EVs resulted in one fatality and prompted calls for stricter safety measures.
Last month, a report by the insurance group Allianz highlighted the rising risks associated with transporting EVs at sea, particularly given the high energy density of their batteries and the value of the cargo.
'Lithium-ion batteries are a known issue for the shipping industry and the wider logistics industry, where there have been a number of near-misses in ports and during transport,' Régis Broudin, Global Head of Marine Claims at AGCS, shared in a statement on their website. 'Batteries are not only a potential cause of fire, they also aggravate the problem, as battery fires are very difficult to extinguish and have the potential to reignite, days or weeks later.'
As the shipping industry adjusts to rising EV volumes, the pressure is mounting for more straightforward guidelines on containment and early detection of battery-related fires.
No Immediate Pollution Detected
Meanwhile, authorities were quick to address any environmental concerns. 'There is no visible pollution,' said Petty Officer Cameron Snell of the US Coast Guard, who confirmed that vessels remained on the scene to monitor for any fuel leaks or debris.
According to reports, the Morning Midas was carrying around 350 metric tonnes of gas fuel and over 1,500 metric tonnes of very low-sulphur fuel oil when it went down. Zodiac Maritime has reportedly dispatched a specialist pollution response ship as an added safeguard.
Meanwhile, a full investigation is reportedly expected into the cause of the fire and the handling of the emergency response. For now, hundreds of electric and hybrid vehicles, likely worth tens of millions of dollars, lie at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, joining a growing list of losses linked to the evolving challenges of global EV transport.
