No research suggests that the risk of transportation maritime of electric motor vehicles is greater than that of vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines. He highlighted it the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) referring to the Reraising the alarm on the risks of car transport Electrical following the fire that occurred on board in recent days of the car carrier Fremantle Highway, accident that caused the death of a seaman and the injury of other crew members ( of 26 July 2023). The fire broke out on July 26 while The ship was off the Dutch coast and ended on 3 August when the Fremantle Highway was towed to the port of Eemshaven. The car carrier ship It carried nearly 3,800 new factory vehicles, including 500 cars Electric. The origin has not yet been ascertained of the fire, but - recalled the international association of Marine insurance - it is assumed that it was caused by a battery of an electric vehicle.

In this regard, IUMI has stressed that to date it is not It has been shown that fires on board ro-ro or pure car truck carriers were caused by electric vehicles new factory, even if the potential risks with which must be confronted in the case of maritime transport of electric motor vehicles or passenger cars with a internal fuel. Referring to the research activity carried out within the framework of the European project LASH FIRE, in which IUMI was involved, the association pointed out that the study has shown that neither the speed with which the fire develops neither the peak of heat release or energy during a fire is greater if the fire is was caused by an electric vehicle or by a vehicle with combustion engine and, in addition, that toxins released by a Electric vehicle fires are similar to those generated from the fire of vehicles with combustion engines. The association of marine insurers pointed out that, rather, in the case of The battery of electric vehicles is a source of fire less than the "fire load", while most of the fire load is generated by the combustion of the plastics and other materials found equally on electric vehicles and on those with internal combustion engine.

At the same time, however, the association pointed out that the exposure of electric batteries to fire, with the cell lithium ion entering a state of self-heating and Re-ignition, can cause the phenomenon of thermal runaway which causes a further increase in temperature, and this - has specified the IUMI - requires different modes of fire detection and fire response. Second the association, the installation of fixed fire-fighting systems is the most effective measure against fires motor vehicles of any type and, in the case of vehicle fire, electric, cooling of the surrounding area is essential to prevent its propagation, allowing the battery to burn in a controlled manner.