Automotive News: Major shipping company halts transport of all EVs

Matson, a major U.S.-based cargo shipping company, has announced an immediate and indefinite halt to all shipments of electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) across its entire maritime network, citing rising concerns over fire hazards linked to lithium-ion batteries.

The decision affects routes between the U.S. mainland, Hawaii, Guam, and Alaska, creating massive logistical headaches for both automakers and private owners trying to move EVs across the Pacific.

This unprecedented move follows a string of high-profile shipping fires—including the June 2025 loss of the Morning Midas, which sank after a suspected battery-related blaze aboard its vehicle deck. Matson confirmed the decision in internal customer emails, noting the risk of thermal runaway and the challenges of suppressing EV battery fires at sea.

While EVs are statistically no more likely to catch fire than gasoline-powered vehicles, the fires they do produce are significantly more intense and difficult to extinguish. Lithium-ion battery packs are vulnerable to thermal runaway—a chain reaction that can produce extreme heat, reignite after extinguishment, and emit toxic gases. This is what doomed the Fremantle Highway in 2023, where over 3,000 cars, including 500 EVs, were lost to an uncontrollable blaze.

With vehicle decks packed tightly and often unattended mid-journey, a single battery failure can quickly become catastrophic. For shippers like Matson, the margin for error is effectively zero. Autoblog