A cargo ship carrying nearly 3,000 vehicles — including 800 electric cars — was abandoned in the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday after a fire broke out on board.

The Morning Midas, en route to Mexico, was evacuated after thick smoke was seen coming from the deck housing electric vehicles, according to the ship’s manager, Zodiac Maritime. Attempts to extinguish the blaze failed, prompting the crew to call for help.

All 22 crew members were safely rescued by the US Coast Guard and transferred to a nearby merchant vessel. Salvage teams are now being deployed to contain the fire and assess damage.

While the exact cause is still under investigation, the incident adds to growing concerns about the fire risks linked to lithium-ion batteries inside electric vehicles. These types of fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish and have been at the centre of several high-profile maritime disasters.

In 2022, a car carrier transporting around 4,000 vehicles sank in the Atlantic after a fire that reportedly began near the EV cargo.

Global demand for electric vehicles is booming, and so is the logistical challenge of shipping them safely. Car carriers — some capable of transporting over 6,000 vehicles — are increasingly being retrofitted with special fire suppression systems, but critics say more must be done to prevent similar disasters.

For now, the Morning Midas is adrift, and questions are again being asked about the shipping industry’s preparedness for the EV era.