Oh, the humanity!: Thousands of luxury cars -- Porsches, Lamborghinis -- set ablaze in cargo ship fire

[Floyd R. Turbo]

(Bloomberg) — The Felicity Ace, a massive cargo ship carrying thousands of Volkswagen Group vehicles, caught fire near the Azores islands in the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday afternoon.

The Panama-flagged ship’s 22 crew members were evacuated and taken to a local hotel by the Portuguese Navy and Air Force, who were deployed to help with the rescue effort, according to a statement from the Navy. The ship itself was left unmanned and adrift.

An internal email from Volkswagen AG’s U.S. operations revealed there were 3,965 vehicles aboard the ship. Headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany, the group manufactures cars under brands including VW, Porsche, Audi and Lamborghini — all of which were in tow when the vessel set ablaze.

More than 100 of those cars were headed for the Port of Houston in Texas, with VW GTI, Golf R, and ID.4 models deemed to be at risk, according to the email. The auto industry is already struggling with supply issues, including pandemic-related staffing woes and the global chip shortage.

https://vancouversun.com/news/canada/thousands-of-luxury-cars-vws-porsches-lamborghinis-set-ablaze-in-cargo-ship-fire/wcm/174fe80a-2007-4407-8c7d-2172f82a3fee

[BootinUp]

1. The carnage is unspeakable!

[Floyd R. Turbo]

2. Ba dum tssssshhhhh!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. I'd like to speak to the manager. NT

[jimfields33]

7. To the environment for sure

I find it incredibly that some are not thinking what an environmental disagree this is. All that poison going into the atmosphere? I guess it’s a laugh.

[dameatball]

4. Maybe now I can afford a Porsche, but delivery may be a problem.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

5. I have a sinking feeling you're right!

[Chainfire]

6. I don't know why, you only have to go a couple of miles to take possession.

[Edim]

8. Fire on Cargo Ship Packed With Porsches and VWs Is Reportedly Fueled by EV Batteries

"Once ignited, a lithium-ion battery is incredibly difficult to extinguish. At first, fire damages the structures that separate the chemicals that power a battery. This often leads to spontaneous re-ignition even after the initial blaze is out. Hundreds of gallons of water are often required, and once the initial fire is out, standard procedure is to quarantine the affected vehicle away from anything flammable, applying more water or fire suppressant as needed. Fire crews sometimes place a burning battery inside a giant water tank until the re-ignition risk subsides.

Neither option is viable on a crowded transport ship. Even if you had a dunk tank or were willing to deal with the environmental consequences of throwing the vehicle overboard, there's usually no way to maneuver or eject the cargo on a ship en-route. Burning cars weighing thousands of pounds and spewing toxic fumes would prove even more difficult to handle."

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a39137893/cargo-ship-fire-fueled-by-ev-batteries/

[mahatmakanejeeves]

9. Felicity Ace Car Carrier Continues to Burn in Mid-Atlantic - Photos

Hat tip, some other forum

Felicity Ace Car Carrier Continues to Burn in Mid-Atlantic – Photos

Reuters
February 18, 2022

{snip}

[WarGamer]

10. Porsche is having a hell of a time already getting cars to dealers...

You'll see BIG dealers in Los Angeles and Orange County with maybe 10-15 new cars on the lot when they typically have 100-150