Runaway 500 EV meltdown on cargo ship: Proof our cities aren't ready for full EV deployment
That Flaming Cargo Ship Is Loaded With Nearly 500 EVs, Not 25
The prognosis for a fire onboard a cargo ship transporting thousands of cars has taken a turn for the worse, as news has come out that the vessel is carrying far more electric vehicles than initially reported. It worsens the odds of containing the fire and salvaging the ship, which is reportedly at risk of sinking in an ecologically significant area.
According to Reuters, the ship was en route from Germany to Egypt when a fire began "near" one of the EVs in the hold. The blaze spread rapidly, and one of the 24 crew was killed. Seven of the remaining 23 were reportedly injured, but are now receiving medical treatment in the Netherlands.
Chinese automaker JAC Group and tech company HiNa Battery teamed up to create an electric car powered by a sodium-ion battery, Just Auto reports.
Mostelectric vehicles today use lithium-ion batteries, but these have always been expensive to produce due to the high cost of lithium and other metals used in the design. Now, thanks to the increasing demand for batteries and the limited capacity of existing lithium mines, they’re getting more costly.
However, sodium-based batteries are much cheaper because sodium is more common across the world. According to Just Auto, sodium-ion batteries are also safer to use than lithium and more sustainable to produce.
In the past, sodium-ion batteries weren’t efficient enough for use in an electric vehicle. According to Chemical and Engineering News, sodium-based batteries typically store only about two-thirds the amount of a similarly sized lithium battery.
HiNa Battery is changing that. For 10 years, the company has been developing better sodium-ion batteries for buses, miniature vehicles, and home energy storage. Last year, it built the world’s first facility for the mass production of sodium battery materials.
According to HiNa’s general manager, Li Shujun, the company is focused on electric vehicles and energy storage systems — improving battery designs to make those technologies more efficient.
Jackson Buys 8 Electric Buses For Transit System, But None Are Working
A transit system run by the town of Jackson and Teton County set out to replace its diesel buses with electric, but none of the eight electric buses in its fleet are running, and the company that made them went bankrupt.
Teton County and the town of Jackson had set its sights on a low-emission transit system for the county.
The Southern Teton Area Rapid Transit (START) system, a joint operation between Jackson and Teton County, bought eight electric buses to complement its fleet of 31.
But none of the electric buses are running, and so the town’s transit system is relying on its diesel fleet.
Bankruptcy
Last month, the electric bus manufacturer that supplied START, California-based Proterra, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that the last of the electric buses went out of service two months ago, and some of the broken buses have been awaiting parts for months.
START Director Bruce Abel told Cowboy State Daily that the agency still isn’t sure when those parts will come or when its electric fleet will be running again.
“We’re evaluating our options to see how we can work through that and make sure that they can be on the road,” Abel said.
The company plans to continue operating while the bankruptcy case proceeds, and it’s promised to deliver buses that are on order.
Whether that includes filling parts orders is anyone’s guess.
Jackson Councilman Jimbo Rooks told Cowboy State Daily the bankruptcy was a “real punch in the gut.”
Prior to the bad news from Proterra, Rooks said the transit system was well positioned to run clean vehicles charged with wind power and hydroelectric.
“While it’s a very upsetting scenario, we need to learn some lessons, problem solve and move forward to improve regional mobility for our residents and visitors alike,” Rooks said.
Man 'kidnapped' by his runaway electric car in Glasgow and forced to crash into police vehicle to stop
His ordeal only ended when he crashed at slow speed into a police vehicle
A man says he was ''kidnapped'' by his own runaway electric car and was forced to dodge red lights and roundabouts before crashing into a police vehicle.
Brian Morrison, 53, said his MG ZS EV fully electric vehicle suffered a ''catastrophic malfunction'' and started driving itself as he headed home from work on Sunday. He dialled 999 from behind the wheel as the car became stuck on 30mph and the brakes would not work.
According to a new report from Consumer Reports, electric vehicles (“EVs”) have nearly 80% more problems and are generally less reliable than cars propelled by conventional internal combustion engines.
The findings are based on a survey of Consumer Reports’ members about problems they’ve had with their vehicles in the prior year. The current report included data on more than 330,000 vehicles made between 2000 to 2023, with a few reports on new 2024 models.
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