Volkswagen Faces Lawsuits Over Cargo Ship Fire
Volkswagen Faces Lawsuits Over Cargo Ship Fire
In 2022, the Felicity Ace, a cargo vessel carrying 3,965 vehicles from the Volkswagen Group, caught fire in its cargo hold on February 16 while sailing from Emden, Germany toward Davisville, Rhode Island across the North Atlantic. At the time of the fire, the ship was approximately 320 kilometres from Terceira Island in the Azores. The vessel was loaded with Volkswagen Group vehicles, including Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Bentley models.
\nThe crew was evacuated and rescued by the Portuguese Navy. The Azores port authority stated that the fire resulted from the ignition of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles and could not be extinguished without specialized equipment. However, contrary to media speculation, it remains unclear whether the fire actually originated from an electric vehicle.
\nThe Portuguese Navy's NRP Setúbal patrol ship followed the vessel southwest of the Azores to intervene in the fire and tow the ship to shore. Two large tugboats from Gibraltar and additional firefighting equipment from Rotterdam were brought in to extinguish the fire. A Portuguese Navy spokesman explained that due to the ship's size, it would have been impossible to tow it into a harbour in the Azores.
\nAfter burning in the Atlantic for approximately one week, the fire was extinguished and the Smit salvage team stabilized the vessel and connected it to a tugboat. However, on March 1, 2022, the Felicity Ace capsized and sank approximately 350 kilometres off the Azores in rough sea conditions. When the ship sank, the water depth was approximately 3,000 metres, and the Portuguese Navy said it would continue monitoring the area for oil pollution.
\nWith the sinking of the vessel, the company lost 1,117 Porsche, 1,944 Audi, 561 Volkswagen, 189 Bentley, and 85 Lamborghini vehicles. Among the losses were electric family vehicles such as the Volkswagen ID.4 and Audi e-tron, as well as fifteen Lamborghini Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae models, each with a retail price exceeding $500,000 USD. The Ultimae was the final model produced of the Aventador, and Aventador production had ended at the time of the accident. The ship also carried various specialty vehicles and tractors.
\nAccording to analysts, the cost of damages resulting from the loss of the cargo ranged between $334 million and $401 million USD.
\nKey Points
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Felicity Ace caught fire and sank in the Atlantic while carrying Volkswagen Group vehicles.
\n The fire may have resulted from the ignition of lithium-ion batteries.
\n The Portuguese Navy and Smit Salvage responded to the fire.
\n The ship was carrying 3,965 vehicles, including Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, and Bentley models.
\n Vehicle losses, including Ultimae Aventadors, resulted in damages worth millions of dollars.
\n The cost of damages is estimated at between $334 and $401 million USD.
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