Morning Midas: ship carrying electric cars catches fire

A cargo ship transporting electric vehicles caught fire off the coast of Alaska on 4 June 2025. The Morning Midas, measuring 182.8 meters in length and 31.53 meters in width, was carrying around 3 000 cars, including approximately 800 electric or hybrid models, when the incident occurred.

The exact cause of the fire remains unknown. Investigators will examine whether lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in electric vehicles, played a role in triggering or fueling the blaze.

Unable to contain the fire, the crew was forced to abandon the vessel. Local authorities opted to monitor the situation from a distance, allowing the ship to burn under controlled observation.

The incident recalls a similar case involving the Felicity Ace, which caught fire on 16 February 2022 while carrying nearly 4 000 vehicles, including 1 100 Porsches, 189 Bentleys, and 1 900 Audis, valued at over 400 million USD.