In the very country that has promoted e-mobility like no other, e-cars are now being banned – by a shipping company. Havila prohibits the transport for safety reasons. The reason for this is the sinking of the „Felicity Ace“ with thousands of luxury vehicles a year ago.
The future was supposed to be electric, but doubts are growing. Higher electricity costs due to the energy crisis, inflation, cuts in electric subsidies and a lack of infrastructure with charging stations are dampening enthusiasm about the electric revolution. A production backlog at companies due to a shortage of materials has also pulled the plug on some fantasies. In Norway, the hype surrounding e-vehicles is now experiencing a further setback.
In the country that is considered a pioneer in electric mobility in Europe, of all places, electric cars are no longer allowed on the „mail ships“ of the Havila Kystruten shipping company that sail off the coast. Havila is the smaller competitor of the better-known Hurtigruten line and the first shipping company to ban the transport of „electric, hybrid and hydrogen cars on board,“ as reported by „Manager Magazin.“
The relevant notice can be found on Havila’s website: „We only allow cars for the entire route from Bergen to Kirkenes or from Kirkenes to Bergen, not from individual ports. The car must not be longer than 5.2 meters, maximum 2.25 meters wide and maximum 2.1 meters high. Electric, hybrid and hydrogen cars are prohibited on board the ship.“
Havila CEO Brent Martini cites safety concerns to shipping news service Trade Winds as the reason. A possible fire in an electric, hybrid and hydrogen car would mean a costly rescue operation and therefore would not be manageable for the crew, he said. For privately owned vehicles with a conventional, fossil-fueled engine, the fire hazard is not present, he said.
No fire hazard with fossil propulsion
The decision was probably prompted by the spectacular fire on the car transport ship „Felicity Ace“ just under a year ago. The ship had thousands of luxury cars on board, some electric with lithium-ion batteries. The ship initially drifted off the coast of the Portuguese Azores Islands, unable to maneuver. Then it sank along with all the Porsches, Audis and Bentleys on board. Today it lies on the seabed at a depth of 3,000 meters. The 22 crew members were evacuated. According to the captain, lithium-ion batteries in the electric vehicles had caused the fire. Because the necessary special equipment was missing, it could not be extinguished, they said.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) responded with stricter fire safety regulations worldwide. In the future, new freighters are to be equipped with heat detectors and video surveillance as standard, and old ones are to be retrofitted. The ships themselves do have large battery packs on board – but in fireproof extra rooms. This does not seem to be a solution for battery-powered vehicles on board.
The ships of the Havila and Hurtigruten fleets are a common means of transportation not only for tourists, but also for locals – cars are readily taken along. Transportation is inexpensive for Norwegian citizens and saves a lot of time because the waterway is the more direct connection between towns along the rugged coastline. Norway has been pushing the e-revolution in recent years with high subsidies. The country can afford the high subsidies because the oil deposits off its coast bring a lot of money into the state coffers. E-cars recently accounted for 80 percent of new cars. For Norwegians, the ban will mean a changeover.
Source: NTV