The race is on to prevent the sinking of a cargo ship off the Dutch coast which is carrying almost 3,000 vehicles, including 350 Mercedes-Benz, as it burns out of control with an electric car believed to be behind the deadly fire.
At least one crew member died and others were injured after fire ripped through the Fremantle Highway, a 18,500-ton car-carrying vessel. Rescue helicopters and boats evacuated 23 crew members from the Panamanian-registered ship.
Officials have said there are ‘many’ wounded. Some suffered broken bones, burns and breathing problems and were taken to hospitals in the northern Netherlands, emergency officials said.
Seven crew members jumped overboard and were rescued from the water, while the rest were airlifted by helicopter. Dutch broadcaster NOS reported that all the crew were Indian.
This afternoon, the ship was said to be burning out of control in the North Sea and rescue vessels were working to save it from sinking close to one of the world’s most important migratory bird habitats.
‘Currently there are a lot of vessels on scene to monitor the situation and to see how to get the fire under control,’ coast guard spokeswoman Lea Versteeg told the Associated Press in a telephone interview.
‘But it’s all depending on weather and the damage to the vessel, so we’re currently working out how we can make sure that… the least bad situation is going to happen.’
Asked if it is possible the ship could sink, Ms Versteeg said: ‘It’s a scenario we’re taking into account and we’re preparing for all scenarios.’
Early this afternoon, two ships were alongside the freighter hosing down its sides in an attempt to cool them, the coast guard said, but firefighters were still unable to attempt to extinguish flames on the ship and smoke was billowing out of its hold.
Endurance Of Electric Vehicles Falters In Extreme Heat
Electric vehicles are known to perform sub-optimally in cold weather — if that’s a loss of range and power. A new study has found similar adverse effects when EVs are subjected to scorching temperatures.
Auto blog Carscoops first reported that data science company Recurrent tested several EVs to “analyze the relationship between batteries and their range.” Recurrent’s data found that if temperatures rise over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, then the ranges of EVs diminish.
Recurrent did not mention which EVs were most impacted when temperatures climbed but said some vehicles experienced a 31% decline in range when temperatures exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The data is to be taken lightly as more testing needs to be completed, Carscoops said.
Regardless of the extreme temperature, EVs experience some degree of range loss and power. The push for EVs by the Biden administration comes as climate warriors say these vehicles are the ‘green’ solution to combat climate change. However, these cars appear not to be holding up well in volatile weather.
www.zerohedge.com/technology/endurance-electric-vehicles-falters-extreme-heat