Alaska Carrier is Latest to Suspend Transport of EVs Due to Fire Risk

Fire concerns and the potential for toxic, runaway fires spurred by lithium-ion batteries continue to weigh heavily on the shipping industry. Lynden’s Alaska Marine Lines has become the latest carrier to report it will no longer ship electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles due to the increased safety risk.

The company operates a vital cargo barge service across Alaska as well as to Hawaii. It is a vital connection for moving commercial freight and is used by Alaskans for shipping materials or to bring items from the “Lower 48.”

“Although we have previously shipped EVs and PHEVs, the increased complexity and fire risk associated with shipping large lithium-ion batteries on vessels at sea has caused us to reevaluate how to best keep our employees and equipment safe. While issues with lithium-ion batteries are infrequent, the inability to extinguish or contain this type of fire, especially while at sea, can lead to catastrophic results,” the company said in a customer statement released on August 12.

The new policy is effective immediately for Central Alaska, Western Alaska, and Hawaii. The company said it would continue to carry the vehicles for the next few weeks until September 1 for Southeast Alaska. The decision does not impact other hybrid vehicles, smaller electric recreational vehicles, e-bikes, and four-wheelers. Alaska Marine Lines said it will continue to reassess the ability to safely ship these vehicles as industry standards and safety procedures improve.

Alaska Public Media highlights that the restrictions will be especially hard for the Southeast, where electric vehicles are growing in popularity. It reports that the State of Alaska’s Alaska Marine Highway System and its ferries will continue limited transport of EVs. 

The ferry system limits just two EVs per trip, and a spokesperson told KCAW Alaska that special precautions are in place on the ferries. They have designated spaces with more area around the two spots for EVs, and each ferry carries two special fire blankets designed to smother EV battery fires. 

Alaska Marine Lines’ policy follows a similar decision announced by Matson in June. The carrier reported that its vessel from California to Hawaii and Guam would no longer transport EVs despite the precautions that it had put in place to control possible fires.

Similar policies have also emerged in Europe. Havila, for example, which carries cars on the Norwegian Coastal voyages, announced in 2023 that it was banning EVs and hydrogen vessels from its ships.