Month: June 2025

The Morning Midas is one of three major incidents in recent years involving fires started aboard Pure Car Carrier (PCC) cargo ships likely caused by electric vehicle batteries.

A salvage team is expected to arrive early this week to deal with the vessel carrying about 3,000 vehicles, including about 750 electrified vehicles likely made by Chinese automakers. The Coast Guard said that 70 of these are reported to be fully electric vehicles and 681 are partial hybrid electric vehicles. The manufacturers and models have not yet been identified.

The fire broke out on June 3 on the Pacific Ocean near Alaska, the US Coast Guard said on Wednesday. It was en route to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, a hub for Mexico vehicle shipments. Imports from China dominate the electric vehicle market in Latin America. More than 60 percent of electric vehicles sold in Mexico in 2023 and 2024 were from China, according to the International Energy Agency.

The Fremantle Highway, a Japanese-owned car carrier, caught fire on July 25, 2023, off the coast of the Netherlands. One crew member died, and seven others were injured as they jumped overboard to escape the fire. The fire, which originated on the upper decks, involved a large number of vehicles, including electric vehicles. The vessel was eventually towed to Eemshaven, Netherlands, where 1,000 vehicles were salvaged from lower decks. The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, but early reports suggested a potential role for electric vehicles, according to gCaptain. 

In February 2022, the MOL (a Japanese transportation company) vessel Felicity Ace carrying 4,000 Volkswagen Group vehicles burned out of control and eventually sank in the Atlantic after having left port in Germany. MOL later filed a lawsuit against Porsche (part of the VW Group) blaming the fire on an electric vehicle battery in the car, according to a report in the Nikkei Asia. All 22 crew members were evacuated safely after the fire, and no injuries or pollution were reported. The ship and its cargo, including thousands of luxury cars, were lost when it sank. While investigations are still being carried out, the likely cause of these incidents has been going on for years. The Chevrolet Bolt recall, fires involving Porsche Taycans, Tesla vehicles, particularly Model S and Model X, have experienced documented instances of battery fires. Nissan had to recall nearly 24,000 Leaf EVs due to a fire risk, specifically when using DC fast chargers. The issue stems from excessive lithium deposits within the battery cells, increasing electrical resistance and potentially causing overheating and, in some cases, fires. 

January 2025 saw a series of alarming incidents involving EV and lithium battery fires across the U.S., according to the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services. The most notable incident occurred at the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in California, where a fire broke out on January 16, 2025, leading to the evacuation of 1,200 residents and the closure of Highway 1 for three days. The fire, which burned for two days, released toxic metals like nickel, cobalt, and manganese into the surrounding environment.

EV-related fires on ships are challenging to extinguish because of the heat generated and risk of re-ignition, which could persist for days. The Felicity Ace fire was likely started by an EVs lithium-ion battery pack in one or more EV. While the exact cause is still under investigation, reports from various sources point to the possibility of a faulty battery or thermal runaway within an EV battery causing the fire. Most EVs have lithium-ion batteries that can overheat and cause fires that spread rapidly and produce toxic gases, making them difficult and dangerous to extinguish.

Alternative EV batteries are picking up pace. Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) is taking off at BYD, Tesla’s major global competitor for EV sales. In 2020, the Chinese automaker launched its Blade Battery. BYD highlighted a video of the Blade Battery successfully passing a nail penetration test, which is seen as the most rigorous way to test the thermal runaway of batteries due to its sheer difficulty. They’re far less likely to catch fire than the previous BYD batteries.

Another advantage for lithium iron phosphate batteries are known for their long lifespan and are often rated to last for 5,000 to 10,000 cycles before losing significant capacity. This translates to approximately 10 to 15 years of use, depending on factors like depth of discharge and charging habits. 

The Tesla Model 3 and Model Y come with LFP batteries, as do a few EVs put out by Ford, Kia, and from a handful of other global brands. All the BYD models get Blade batteries.

Another battery technology gaining support from automakers is solid-state batteries. Solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid one. This solid electrolyte acts as both the medium for ion transport and the separator between the cathode and anode. These advanced batteries are being hailed for their potential to deliver significantly higher energy density, faster charging times, improved safety, and a longer operational lifespan compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries.

However, solid-state batteries remain largely in the research and pilot stage, with several technical and economic barriers preventing widespread commercialization.
Toyota plans release solid-state EVs as early as 2027. The company claims its prototypes can deliver over 621 miles of range and recharge in just 10 minutes—an ambitious leap forward that’s still undergoing real-world testing. Toyota has extended its launch date of these solid-state battery EVs in the past.

U.S.-based QuantumScape is developing lithium-metal solid-state batteries with a ceramic electrolyte. Laboratory results have been promising. Solid Power, supported by automotive giants BMW and Ford, launched pilot production of 100 amp-hour cells designed for vehicle integration and testing. Other major battery makers like CATL, LG Energy Solution, and Samsung SDI, are exploring hybrid designs that combine solid and liquid electrolytes, aiming to create a smoother transition path from current lithium-ion technology to fully solid-state systems.

But for now, lithium-ion battery EVs makes for the lion’s share of global sales. It can be discouraging for those thinking about owning and driving an EV, with safety a top priority issue.

June 12 Tesla launch: Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s social media battle with President Donald Trump hurt Tesla stock prices late last week, but it may not be impacting the upcoming media launch day. Tesla will be announcing its robotaxi service in Austin on June 12, with a phased rollout starting with a small number of vehicles and gradually increasing to a larger fleet, according to Bloomberg. The service will initially be supervised, with human drivers in the vehicles, and will be expanded to include more fully autonomous vehicles over time, according to CNBC. Market analysts aren’t concerned that the Trump administration may take retaliatory measures against Musk and Tesla that could really offset its autonomous vehicle and ride-sharing, robotaxi plans.

EDTA on House budget: Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) President Genevieve Cullen is hoping that the U.S. Senate version of the reconciliation bill for the budget can fix the House version. It might be a gift for China and a burden to the U.S. in its present House form, the association says. Cullen spoke to the issues in a statement:
“The reconciliation bill passed by the House calls for a big step backward for U.S. leadership in energy innovation.  
“Federal investment in electric transportation technologies and next-generation infrastructure and grids has helped to propel our global competitiveness in the race for advanced transportation.  The abrupt change of course is a golden opportunity for our competitors, especially China, and threatens billions of dollars of private investment in U.S. manufacturing. 
“Tax incentives for new and used clean cars, trucks, alternative fuel infrastructure and advanced manufacturing, along with clean technology deployment programs, are an effective and comprehensive effort to dominate this century’s energy field.  The return on federal investment is economic growth, an expanding workforce, consumer choice and cleaner communities.
“Whiplashing policy swings are a setback for our energy future and for American businesses, consumers and communities. We urge the Senate to get the U.S. back into the race.”

House bill may also hurt ports: The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has expressed concerns over other budget provisions in the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The association is worried that the proposed funding cuts could hurt domestic manufacturing and port modernization projects. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito, AAPA President & CEO Cary Davis expressed concerns over Sections 42102 and 42104 of the bill. These parts of the bill would rescind funds from the Clean Ports Program and the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant program. The Clean Ports Program had initially been given $3 billion in funding by Congress; one of the goals is to assist ports in acquiring new cargo-handling equipment and infrastructure upgrades.

Flying electric car: San Mateo, Calif-based Alef Aeronautics has been developing flying cars for about a decade, and the company is getting ready to launch the first-ever electric flying car. Alef also claims that flying car uses less energy than a Tesla or any other electric vehicle. According to the company’s latest update, the flying car has now secured over 3,400 pre-orders, valued at around $1 billion in total, which came from its October 2022 prototype unveiling. The “Model A,” will be travel up to 220 miles with a 110-mile flight range, the company said.

International Energy Agency (IEA) recently published a report, Energy and AI, which dug into a data-driven global analysis on the growing connections between energy and artificial intelligence (AI). That included tapping into experts in the tech sector, energy industry, and international alliances. The study projects that electricity demand from data centers worldwide is set to more than double by 2030 to around 945 terawatt-hours (TWh). AI will be the most significant driver of this increase, with electricity demand from AI-optimized data centers projected to more than quadruple by 2030.

Companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet have developed strategies about the fast-growing demand for the cloud infrastructure. These and other companies are also taking nuclear power very seriously as a source to produce enough electricity to meet this demand. Some of these major corporations are also investing in nuclear power plants — restoring mainly existing facilities in the U.S. to meet safety and environmental demands; and to realistically plan for what do with nuclear waste.

Nuclear energy now provides about 9% of the world’s electricity from about 440 power reactors, according to World Nuclear Association. It makes up about a quarter of the world’s low-carbon electricity, and it’s the second largest source for low-carbon power. Nuclear provides nearly 20% of the U.S.’s electricity, according to the Dept. of Energy. It’s also the nation’s largest source of clean energy, making up about half the renewable energy used to run electricity power plants.

When millions of people across the Iberian peninsula were left without power last month, it fueled debate over the need to bring in more nuclear power to Europe as reported in The Guardian. That power outage, primarily in parts of Spain and Portugal within the peninsula, was the largest blackout in decades. The U.S. has seen its share of major blackouts and short-term power outages in the past few years, with most of it blamed on the demands made by climate change and chaotic weather fluctuations and extremes, and rising demand for power consumption from air conditioning units, electronic devices, and eventually around new demand from cloud, AI, and quantum computing projects taking off at large scale.

There could be 92 million electric vehicles on U.S. roads by 2040, based on a PwC analysis. That would be 20 times more than the estimated 4.5 million EVs in 2023. That will take a lot more charging power. Even with that increasing demand, it could be significant but manageable with the right planning and control measures, according to PwC. But that wouldn’t take into account the fast-growing data cloud storage demand in the U.S. and other countries.

Clean Air Task Force says that the U.S. federal government earns an “incomplete” rating on nuclear energy. President Trump recently issued four executive orders focused on unlocking advanced nuclear energy domestically and abroad. The U.S. will struggle to deploy and build new projects at the scale necessary to tackle energy security and leadership in nuclear technology, CATF says. That comes down to three main reasons: “Orderbook” reactor deployment may be necessary for future projects, but the financial risk and finding revenue certainty isn’t being addressed; the U.S. House recently voted to diminish crucial tax credits that reduce the costs of new plants by up to 40%; and the House recently voted to restrict the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, which is essential to finance the first wave of new plants. 

CATF agrees with the administration — and the previous Biden administration — that advanced nuclear energy should be supported. The organization will also continue to advocate for a bolder, more cohesive strategy to make sure government is delivers, safe, clean, and reliable nuclear energy at an affordable cost.

Nuclear power has a large segment of opponents in the U.S., who will cite debacles such as Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima; and several projects in the U.S. that have stalled out or run out of funding to go online. It will be part of getting these power plant projects approved and funded. Both the Biden and Trump administrations have supported nuclear energy with their own set of requirements, but it is likely to gain enough support to go forward.

Washington blocking CA rules: President Donald Trump is ready to sign an executive order that would roll back California’s clean clean car and truck rules and waivers. It signifies the Trump administration’s commitment to rolling back the state’s zero emission vehicle mandates. The Senate recently backed the House by rejecting three California regulations that had been supported by the Biden administration. Currently, 16 other states and the District of Columbia have adopted California’s Advanced Clean Cars II regulations, which include ZEV standards. A coalition of 11 states recently launched an Affordable Clean Cars Coalition to expand access to ZEVs — primarily electric vehicles — by protecting their state residents from they call attacks by the federal government and to continue supporting advancements in clean cars and trucks.

AVs in Washington: The U.S. Senate is looking into the question of whether federal safety standards can be established for autonomous vehicles. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) recently introduced the Autonomous Vehicle Acceleration Act of 2025, which is designed to expedite the integration of autonomous vehicles (AVs). Lummis’ goal is to set a national framework to support development and deployment of the technology. Separately, the Dept. of Transportation has unveiled a new Automated Vehicle Framework. Its objective is to harmonize state regulations and eliminate unnecessary barriers to innovation.

What’s Happening in Funding?
Cited above, you’ll see a reference to a Clean Air Task Force (CATF) analysis of Washington nuclear policies. CATF is a nonprofit organization working to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change by catalyzing the rapid global development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies. This is accomplished through research and analysis, public advocacy leadership, and partnership with the private sector.  CATF has offices in Boston, Washington D.C., and Brussels, with staff working virtually around the world. Check out its Clean Transportation Funding Tracker that follows available incentives and other funding opportunities to decarbonize on-road, maritime, and aviation transportation sectors.