Sponsored

FREMANTLE HIGHWAY on fire (new vid: 2 sept 2023).

BJCanadaMax

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2022
Threads
14
Messages
398
Reaction score
167
Location
Canada
Vehicles
Cross Turismo, MINI SE, Toyota Prius
Country flag
Wow that is really bad. Terrible that this happens again and in such a busy stretch of water
Does anyone remember what month that was. Just wonder the type of heat that must had been in these boats. My Taycan just got on a boat now. Crossing my fingers.
Sponsored

 

SKT-RKT

Member
First Name
Stephane
Joined
May 5, 2023
Threads
4
Messages
13
Reaction score
1
Location
Canada
Vehicles
BMW 335xdrive, Taycan 4S Cross-Turismo
Country flag
Does anyone remember what month that was. Just wonder the type of heat that must had been in these boats. My Taycan just got on a boat now. Crossing my fingers.
Same here ??
 

xyeahtony

Well-Known Member
First Name
Tony
Joined
Jan 6, 2023
Threads
5
Messages
358
Reaction score
387
Location
Baton Rouge
Vehicles
23 Integra 6MT, 23 CT4S
Country flag
Most of the cars on this ship were mercedes and BMW. This isn't a ship that normally ships VW products.
 

Der-Schwabe

Well-Known Member
First Name
O.
Joined
Jul 13, 2023
Threads
3
Messages
81
Reaction score
133
Location
United Kingdom
Vehicles
Mercedes C-Class
Country flag
Just read this in a German magazine "Der Spiegel" article that suggests strongly that the fire did not originate from any of the 500 electric vehicles. The recovery company reported the following:

"The inspection now revealed that the lower four of the twelve decks are largely undamaged. About 1,000 cars, including 500 electric ones, are also in good condition at first glance, Berdowski said. But it is still unclear how they can be salvaged."

(The German original: " Bei der Inspektion wurde nun deutlich, dass die unteren vier der zwölf Decks weitgehend unbeschädigt sind. Auch etwa 1000 Autos, darunter 500 elektrische, seien auf den ersten Blick in gutem Zustand, sagte Berdowski. Aber noch ist unklar, wie sie geborgen werden können. ")

Source:

https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/fre...iziert-a-0c44ad43-7b8e-4023-ae38-0cac497b9819
 


W1NGE

Well-Known Member
First Name
Adrian
Joined
Jan 11, 2021
Threads
53
Messages
11,017
Reaction score
6,805
Location
Aberdeen, Scotland
Vehicles
992.2, ex GTS ST & 4S owner, Macan T
Country flag
Perhaps it was a KIA ICE vehicle - they've just recalled 92,000 of then due to a fire risk (all new models). It only takes one.
 

simcity

Well-Known Member
First Name
Sean
Joined
May 22, 2022
Threads
40
Messages
1,546
Reaction score
1,288
Location
Suffolk, UK
Vehicles
'23 Taycan Turbo
Country flag
Just read this in a German magazine "Der Spiegel" article that suggests strongly that the fire did not originate from any of the 500 electric vehicles. The recovery company reported the following:

"The inspection now revealed that the lower four of the twelve decks are largely undamaged. About 1,000 cars, including 500 electric ones, are also in good condition at first glance, Berdowski said. But it is still unclear how they can be salvaged."

(The German original: " Bei der Inspektion wurde nun deutlich, dass die unteren vier der zwölf Decks weitgehend unbeschädigt sind. Auch etwa 1000 Autos, darunter 500 elektrische, seien auf den ersten Blick in gutem Zustand, sagte Berdowski. Aber noch ist unklar, wie sie geborgen werden können. ")

Source:

https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/fre...iziert-a-0c44ad43-7b8e-4023-ae38-0cac497b9819
ZDF still pointing the finger at an EV fire…

https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/pano...bergung-schiff-frachter-autos-gefahr-100.html
 

Der-Schwabe

Well-Known Member
First Name
O.
Joined
Jul 13, 2023
Threads
3
Messages
81
Reaction score
133
Location
United Kingdom
Vehicles
Mercedes C-Class
Country flag
I think you’ll find that the ZDF quotes the same section from the DPA (Deutsche Presse Agentur) report about the recovery company’s boss (Mr Berdowski) statements that all 500 electric cars being in good condition. The chap also stated that it can be hazardous to recover electric vehicles which is not the same as having caused the fire. It stands to reason, that if the fire had been caused by one of the 500 electric vehicles, these would not be described to be in good condition.

The same statement from boss of the recovery company was also quoted by the “Die Welt” newspaper on Friday, so, if you’ll like, the story from the DPA made the rounds in Germany.

https://www.welt.de/vermischtes/art...cks-ist-total-verschmolzen-mit-den-Autos.html

Interestingly, both the report in the “ZDF” & “Die Welt” cite that the source was likely a battery of an electric vehicle whereas the report from the “Der Spiegel” reported more accurately that the initial reports from the Dutch coastguard suspected this to be the case but stated that the cause had not been identified, in German:

Die Brandursache steht nach wie vor nicht fest, die Untersuchung dazu läuft. (…) Nach ersten Informationen der Küstenwache direkt nach Ausbruch des Feuers könnte womöglich ein E-Auto Ausgangspunkt des Feuers gewesen sein. “

The English translation would be:

The cause of the fire is still not determined, the investigation is in progress (…) based on initial reports of the coastguard directly after the outbreak of the fire had been that the starting point of the fire could potentially have been an electric car”

This more accurate reporting by “Der Spiegel” seems to have been omitted by “Die Welt” & the “ZDF”. Both state that the fire was assumed to have been caused by an electric vehicle’s battery (“Ursache war vermutlich der Akku eines E-Autos.”) though you’ll note that in neither news outlet this is in quotes and was unlikely to have been stated by the boss of the recovery company.

It probably says more about the quality of the reporting of said media outlets than what was stated by the recovery company.
 
Last edited:


simcity

Well-Known Member
First Name
Sean
Joined
May 22, 2022
Threads
40
Messages
1,546
Reaction score
1,288
Location
Suffolk, UK
Vehicles
'23 Taycan Turbo
Country flag
I think you’ll find that the ZDF quotes the same section from the DPA (Deutsche Presse Agentur) report about the recovery company’s boss (Mr Berdowski) statements that all 500 electric cars being in good condition. The chap also stated that it can be hazardous to recover electric vehicles which is not the same as having caused the fire. It stands to reason, that if the fire had been caused by one of the 500 electric vehicles, these would not be described to be in good condition.

The same statement from boss of the recovery company was also quoted by the “Die Welt” newspaper on Friday, so, if you’ll like, the story from the DPA made the rounds in Germany.

https://www.welt.de/vermischtes/art...cks-ist-total-verschmolzen-mit-den-Autos.html

Interestingly, both the report in the “ZDF” & “Die Welt” cite that the source was likely a battery of an electric vehicle whereas the report from the “Der Spiegel” reported more accurately that the initial reports from the Dutch coastguard suspected this to be the case but stated that the cause had not been identified, in German:

Die Brandursache steht nach wie vor nicht fest, die Untersuchung dazu läuft. (…) Nach ersten Informationen der Küstenwache direkt nach Ausbruch des Feuers könnte womöglich ein E-Auto Ausgangspunkt des Feuers gewesen sein. “

The English translation would be:

The cause of the fire is still not determined, the investigation is in progress (…) based on initial reports of the coastguard directly after the outbreak of the fire had been that the starting point of the fire could potentially have been an electric car”

This more accurate reporting by “Der Spiegel” seems to have been omitted by “Die Welt” & the “ZDF”. Both state that the fire was assumed to have been caused by an electric vehicle’s battery (“Ursache war vermutlich der Akku eines E-Autos.”) though you’ll note that in neither news outlet this is in quotes and was unlikely to have been stated by the boss of the recovery company.

It probably says more about the quality of the reporting of said media outlets than what was stated by the recovery company.
Yes important to remember that the official cause has still not been determined.

Whet surprised me about the ZDF article was the still apparent massive reporting bias that it was a BEV that caused the fire - even though, the BEVs were all apparently on separate decks well removed from the decks destroyed by the fire.

It didn’t stop them from putting an animated video smack bang in the middle of the article explaining the cause etc of BEV fires.

Any causal linkage to the apparent anti-BEV sentiment in Germany (and latest pushback on EU phaseout dates for ICEV) backed by the mainstream vehicle manufacturers in Germany wouldn’t really be a massive surprise
 

Der-Schwabe

Well-Known Member
First Name
O.
Joined
Jul 13, 2023
Threads
3
Messages
81
Reaction score
133
Location
United Kingdom
Vehicles
Mercedes C-Class
Country flag
Yes important to remember that the official cause has still not been determined.

Whet surprised me about the ZDF article was the still apparent massive reporting bias that it was a BEV that caused the fire - even though, the BEVs were all apparently on separate decks well removed from the decks destroyed by the fire.

It didn’t stop them from putting an animated video smack bang in the middle of the article explaining the cause etc of BEV fires.

Any causal linkage to the apparent anti-BEV sentiment in Germany (and latest pushback on EU phaseout dates for ICEV) backed by the mainstream vehicle manufacturers in Germany wouldn’t really be a massive surprise
I have to agree with you! I am surprised that a publicly funded broadcaster such as the ZDF makes speculative statements such as this. The other German public broadcaster, the ARD (and it's news program, the "Tagesschau" ) was not far off when they stated on Friday (though at least they stated that this is not yet certain):

"The cause of the fire was probably the battery of an electric car - but this is not yet certain."

(German original: " Ursache für den Brand war vermutlich der Akku eines E-Autos - gesichert ist das aber noch nicht.")

https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/autofrachter-freemantle-highway-bergung-100.html

More slapdash reporting...
 

simcity

Well-Known Member
First Name
Sean
Joined
May 22, 2022
Threads
40
Messages
1,546
Reaction score
1,288
Location
Suffolk, UK
Vehicles
'23 Taycan Turbo
Country flag

Der-Schwabe

Well-Known Member
First Name
O.
Joined
Jul 13, 2023
Threads
3
Messages
81
Reaction score
133
Location
United Kingdom
Vehicles
Mercedes C-Class
Country flag
I have to agree with you as regards the speculation.

In this context I should may be mention a fire that destroyed 1,400 vehicles in a Liverpool multi-storey carpark on New Year's Eve 2017. It was caused by a modified fuel-system on a 16 year old Land Rover (a parked ICE...). The multi-storey carpark had to be demolished afterwards. Luckily no-one was injured.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-46290095

Interesting to hear the comments of Liverpool's major as regards sprinkler systems and whether they would have prevented this blaze.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/mayor-joe-reveals-what-caused-14199555
 
Last edited:
 








Top