Jaecoo electric cars catch fire at UK port

A major fire erupted at Southampton port in the UK on Wednesday morning, engulfing 33 Jaecoo electric SUVs shortly after they were unloaded from a ship arriving from China. The blaze, which began at around 4:20 AM, required a coordinated response involving 10 fire engines, two water carriers, an aerial ladder platform, and multiple crews to control. No injuries were reported, though residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed to avoid toxic smoke. The incident underscores growing challenges in transporting electric vehicles (EVs), as fires involving EVs can be difficult to extinguish due to risks of thermal runaway. Southampton’s fire follows previous shipping disasters, including the 2022 sinking of the *Felicity Ace*, which carried nearly 4,000 cars, and a 2023 blaze on the *Fremantle Highway* car carrier carrying 500 EVs. The timing of the Southampton fire coincides with the arrival of another large shipment of EVs in Australia, where nearly 5,000 hybrid and electric vehicles from Chinese manufacturer BYD docked in Melbourne. Raffy Sgroi, a government safety adviser and CEO of Car Mechanical Services, warned that ports and storage facilities will increasingly face risks as EV shipments grow. She emphasized the need for specialized procedures and infrastructure to handle incidents involving electrified vehicles, particularly in concentrated storage areas. Sgroi noted that Australia’s shift toward lower-emission transport is accelerating, but public policy must adapt to support the new technology. The Southampton incident serves as a critical reminder of the potential hazards in EV logistics, requiring emergency services and ports to prepare for larger-scale incidents as more electrified vehicles enter the supply chain.