The shipping company that delivers most of Hawaii’s cars has stopped sending electric vehicles to the state because of the risk of battery fires.
Matson, based in Honolulu, sent a letter to its customers in mid-July informing them of the change, “effective immediately.”
“Due to increasing concern for the safety of transporting vehicles powered by large lithium-ion batteries, Matson is suspending acceptance of used or new electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles for transport aboard its vessels,” Matson said in the letter.
The change follows a fire disaster off the coast of Alaska in June. A ship carrying 3,000 Chinese EVs to Mexico caught fire and sank, causing losses of $560 million, according to Automotive News. That was the third ship in three years to sink or be seriously damaged while ferrying EVs.
