An enormous vehicle carrier that caught fire at sea earlier this week appears to have far more electric vehicles on board than first suggested.
This ship, christened the Fremantle Highway, was first reported aflame off the Dutch coast a couple of days ago. Initial information hinted there were at least 25 EVs on its manifest and that the conflagration likely began at or near one of those cars. Now, reports are surfacing that there could be nearly five hundred electric cars in the ship’s hold, a realization that adds a lot more gravitas to a situation that has already claimed the life of one person and injured scores of others.
A spokesperson for the vessel’s charter told Automotive News their records show 3,783 vehicles in total aboard the ship, about a thousand more than first reported, including 498 battery-electric vehicles. Specific brands were not mentioned but information already in the public sphere tells us at least 10 percent of the total are Mercedes-Benz units, though it is unclear how many – if any – of the EVs are Mercs. BMW has also told some outlets they have vehicles aboard the Fremantle Highway.