The stricken car carrier the Freemantle Highway, had 498 EVs onboard.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The Dutch coastguard initially reported there were only 25 EVs.
The cargo ship caught fire off the Netherlands coast on 26 July. It had 3,783 cars in onboard and was sailing from Germany to Egypt with a final destination of Singapore.
Automakers BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Mini have since confirmed they had new cars on the ship. The cause of the fire is unknown, but it is suspected that a lithium-ion battery was the cause.
Lithium-ion batteries burn with twice the energy of a normal fire. They can pose complications for emergency responders as EV fires require a significant amount of water to extinguish.
There are also concerns around possible electrocution, and instances of reignition of a damaged battery, as recently reported in one of Nikola’s trucks.
The Freemantle Highway is now under tow and being taken to another location as part of an operation to try and salvage the ship.
It is reported that one crew member has died, with several others injured.
