Shipping company wants money from Porsche for sinking freighter
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The Japanese shipping company MOL is demanding 30 million euros in compensation from Porsche for the sinking of the Felicity Ace in 2022. The fire on board the ship is said to have been caused by a Taycan.
Back two years ago, when the Felicity Ace sailed across the Atlantic from Germany to the USA with almost 4,000 cars from the Volkswagen Group.
Felicity Ace sunk
The car transporter caught fire, drifted without steering for a week and finally sank to the bottom, costing VW more than 140 million euros.
The Portuguese Navy managed to disembark all 22 crew members, but putting out the fire proved an impossible task. There were many electric cars on board.
Batteries difficult to delete
What relevance does it have? Lithium-ion batteries are almost impossible to extinguish, partly because new cells burst due to the heat and catch fire.
Porsche’s fault?
According to the Japanese shipping company MOL, the fire on the Felicity Ace started in the battery of a Porsche Taycan. That’s why the Stuttgart company went to court.
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MOL claims Porsche has not been open about the risks of transporting electric vehicles. Porsche says it’s not at all clear where the Felicity Ace fire started.
The ship lies at a depth of three kilometers at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. There was no official investigation into the exact cause of the disaster. That wasn’t possible at all.
No increased risk of fire
A report from the International Union of Marine Insurance says electric cars are no more likely to catch fire than gasoline-powered cars. However, there are a number of shipping companies that no longer want to transport electric vehicles.
This is due to the additional measures they would have to take to extinguish a possible fire in an electric vehicle. With electric cars, the fire is more likely to flare up again and again.
Japan’s MOL has ordered 10 new car ships that will be equipped with artificial intelligence cameras. You must immediately inform the crew of a possible fire.
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Source: Auto visie
I’m Jamie Bowen, a dedicated and passionate news writer for 24 News Reporters. My specialty is covering the automotive industry, but I also enjoy writing about a wide range of other topics such as business and politics. I believe in providing my readers with accurate information while entertaining them with engaging content.
