Skip to main content

Luxury cars continue to burn on abandoned cargo ship

A cargo ship that has been ablaze in the mid-Atlantic since last week is reported to be carrying around 4,000 vehicles worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

An estimate published on Monday by risk solutions company Russell Group suggested that the Felicity Ace cargo vessel has on board around $400 million worth of vehicles, many of them luxury cars from the likes of Porsche, Audi, Bentley, and Lamborghini.

The Felicity Aces ablaze in the mid-Atlantic.
The Felicity Ace ablaze in the mid-Atlantic. Portuguese Navy handout

Volkswagen, which owns the brands, hasn’t said publicly how many of each model are on board the Felicity Ace, though media reports suggest the consignment includes around 1,000 Porsches and 189 Bentleys.

The ship caught fire near the Azores about 900 miles west of Portugal last Wednesday as it sailed from Emden, Germany, to Davisville, Rhode Island. The 22-person crew were safely evacuated soon after the blaze started.

The operator of Felicity Ace, Singapore-based MOL Ship Management, said on Monday that it believed the vessel was still burning five days on. Firefighting boats are currently making their way to the scene and are expected to reach the ship this week.

Reports suggest the fire has been fueled by lithium-ion batteries on electric cars aboard the vessel. A malfunction with one of the batteries could also have caused the blaze, though this has to be confirmed.

Commenting on the incident, Suki Basi of Russell Group said: “These figures showed once again the precariousness of global supply chains. The incident comes at a bad time for global carmakers who are in the middle of a supply chain crisis sourcing semiconductors, resulting in new delays for new cars.” Basi added: “An event like this will not do a great deal in instilling trust with consumers.”

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
2019 Cadillac XT5 Sport continues luxury brand’s crossover obsession
2019 Cadillac XT5 Sport

Cadillac is scrambling to respond to market trends by shifting from sedans to crossovers. It recently launched the millennial-chasing XT4, and will soon follow it up with the family-oriented XT6. In between sits the XT5, and to ensure this model doesn’t get lost in the shuffle, Cadillac is launching a new Sport package at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show.

The 2019 Cadillac XT5 Sport doesn’t get any mechanical upgrades to actually make it sportier. Instead, the XT5 gets styling features to bring it in line with the XT4 and XT6, which have Sport packages of their own. Notable items include a gloss black grille, LED headlights, and 20-inch wheels finished in Technical Gray. The interior gets sport pedals and diamond-cut aluminum trim.

Read more
Former luxury car buyers turning to premium pickup trucks instead
luxury car buyers switching to pickup trucks 2018 ford f 250 super duty

It wasn't enough that the best-selling cars in the U.S. have been pickup trucks for years, but now former luxury car buyers are switching to top trim Ford, Chevy, and RAM light-duty trucks, according to CNBC.

Fancy sedan and coupe buyers aren't choosing trucks to save money. The top three brands report that demand is greatest for the most tricked-out premium truck models. With average truck prices topping $50,000, buyers who want the best of the best can easily spend $70,000 to $90,000, with some configurations crossing the into 6-figures.

Read more
Rivian R1T gets estimated 410 miles of range with Dual-Motor powertrain, Max Pack battery
People and a dog standing in front of a Rivian R1T electric pickup truck.

The Rivian R1T electric pickup truck now gets 410 miles of range with the new Max Pack battery and Dual-Motor powertrain, the company claims.

Rivian posted range estimates for the Max Pack, which is not available with Rivian's Quad-Motor powertrain, on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Wednesday, but those haven't been confirmed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The 410-mile range estimate applies to trucks with 21-inch wheels. Opting for 22-inch wheels knocks the estimated range down to 380 miles. The available 20-inch wheel and all-terrain tire combination — which helps maximize the R1T's impressive off-road capability — brings a further range reduction, to 355 miles.

Read more