Why Was A Ship With 3,000 Cars Abandoned In The Pacific Ocean?

A cargo ship carrying 3,000 cars, including 800 electric vehicles (EVs), was suddenly left adrift in the Pacific Ocean, its crew gone and its journey cut short. The circumstances behind its abandonment raised serious questions, and not just about the cars.

The Morning Midas was abandoned on June 4, 2025, after a raging fire started onboard. The Midas was originally traveling from Yantai, China, to Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, when the fire broke out roughly 300 miles south of Adak Island, Alaska. London-based shipping company Zodiac Maritime operates the ship and first became aware of the fire on June 3. Soon after, Zodiac Maritime told news outlets that the deck carrying the EVs was indeed smoking, and that the crew had tried to put out the fire but was unable to do so.

After making a distress call, the crew used a lifeboat to leave the Morning Midas behind and were eventually rescued by merchant ships operating nearby. Though the cause of the fire has not been confirmed, it could be the lithium-ion batteries in the EVs, which have been suspected of causing cargo ships to catch fire in the past.

Cargo ships carrying EVs have faced disaster in recent years, most notably in February 2022 when the Felicity Ace suddenly caught fire and sank during its journey to the U.S. from Europe. The Ace was stacked with brand-new cars and EVs, with a Porsche EV believed to have caused the fire. Mitsui OSK Lines, owners of the Felicity Ace, later sued the Volkswagen Group, which owns the Porsche brand. Mitsui claimed that VW did not disclose the dangers of EVs before the Felicity Ace's voyage.

The reason lithium-ion batteries catch fire is a phenomenon called thermal runaway. A lithium-ion battery can start to overheat due to damage, a short circuit, overcharging, or a manufacturing flaw, and that sets off a chain reaction that keeps building on itself. An EV fire is tough to stop and can often lead to an explosive, life-threatening situation.

An EV fire is hard to put out, as even water can actually make it worse, especially if it comes into contact with the lithium-ion battery itself. There are several ways to suppress an EV fire, but it takes specialized equipment that ships typically don't have.