Pacific Cargo Ship Fire Raises Questions; SAIC-GM Confirms ICE Vehicles Onboard, Cause Unclear

On June 6, SAIC-GM customer service representatives confirmed to the media that internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles produced by the automaker were indeed onboard the cargo ship Morning Midas, which recently caught fire in the Pacific Ocean. However, the exact cause of the fire remains undetermined.

The roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel Morning Midas departed from Yantai Port, China, on May 26, en route to the Port of Lázaro Cárdenas in Mexico. The fire broke out roughly 300 nautical miles southwest of Alaska, prompting the emergency evacuation of all 22 crew members. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Ship owner Zodiac Maritime confirmed that the vessel was carrying approximately 3,000 new vehicles, including around 800 electric vehicles (EVs). The revelation quickly fueled speculation: Did the fire originate from an EV? Were any SAIC-GM vehicles involved?

As of now, the source of the blaze has not been officially identified, and an investigation is ongoing. Nevertheless, amid a string of recent maritime incidents, this latest case has once again spotlighted growing concerns around the safe transport of EVs by sea.

From the Fremantle Highway fire last year to the Morning Midas incident, the challenges of thermal insulation, fire prevention, and emergency response during high-density EV shipping are becoming increasingly urgent for both automakers and shipping lines.

For now, the question of which automakers had vehicles on board has become a sensitive topic—one that few are eager to address publicly.