A new bulletin from an Australian government agency is raising concerns about the potential hazards battery electric vehicles can pose aboard ferries.
The safety alert from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) states that EVs can pose significant risks to ferries related to high-intensity fires, high-voltage shocks, toxic gases and gas explosions.
AMSA also notes that the vehicles can be up to 25 per cent heavier than traditional cars, potentially causing stability problems, and often have lower ground clearance, a potential issue with ferry loading.
The alert comes as both ferry traffic and electric vehicle ownership in British Columbia reach record levels.
The latest statistics from the provincial government show nearly one in five light-duty passenger vehicles sold in the province last year was electric.
Glenn Garry, president of the Electric Vehicle Association of Victoria, told Global News many of the problems identified in the safety alert would apply to gas powered vehicles as well.
“The report was making much hay about there being toxic fumes coming from a burning EV battery,” he said.
“True. However, any vehicle you put on fire right now, the interior, all the cabling, all the wire looms, are covered in an exotic cocktail of chemicals which are all bad for humans.”
B.C. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said BC Ferries crews were well trained and equipped to deal with a variety of emergencies, including fires.
“BC Ferries has their own firefighting protocols dealing with the intensity and quick burn of EV battery fires, should one happen, never had one, it’s unlikely,” Fleming said.
Transport Canada told Global News it has not issued any safety advisories to ferry operators around electric vehicles.
The Australian alert makes a number of recommendations, including alerting crews to the presence of EVs, ensuring they have alarms active in their battery management systems, banning on-board charging, and installing thermal cameras that can give early fire warnings.
It also makes numerous recommendations about loading EVs, including not stowing them in enclosed areas and ensuring they’re parked away from critical systems and in a place where crew can access them easily.