Shipping Electric Cars Overseas: All You Need to Know
As the international demand for electric vehicles soars and new models constantly hit the market, the demand for auto shipping also increases. However, shipping electric cars across the ocean is more challenging than traditional gasoline-powered vehicles.
This article explores why shipping EVs overseas requires special considerations, highlights major regulations for shipping these cars safely and efficiently with the top challenges involved, and addresses the role of overseas car shipping in streamlining the EV supply chain.
Why Shipping EVs Overseas Is Different?
What makes shipping electric vehicles overseas different from gasoline cars is a combination of features specific to electric cars, requiring additional safety measures. The most substantial feature that calls for employing exceptional security standards when shipping EVs is their lithium-ion batteries.
These batteries pose significant safety risks and are prone to fire if not handled appropriately. This threatens crew safety and life and can lead to financial losses and environmental damage.
Though no clear international shipping regulations have yet been made to address the potential risks of shipping EVs and how to handle shipping and securing them to prevent accidents, each country imposes its own regulations. They are to be further discussed in the following lines.
Standard Regulations for Shipping EVs Overseas
Organizations and regulatory entities have developed specific requirements for safe EV maritime shipping that shippers must abide by to mitigate the risks associated with shipping EVs overseas. They involve following these practices:
Preparing Designated Storage Areas for Vehicles
EVs must be loaded into designated areas on the ship and equipped with adequate safety measures to allow for early fire detection and appropriate fire-fighting actions. They require special packaging, which is what fire-resistant containers provide.
Fire Detection
Shippers must abide by the best practices for early fire detection, which involves installing a video monitoring system that can immediately identify the location of the detected fire and activate applicable fire-fighting systems.
Crew Training
Car shipping companies must train their crew on shipping electric cars, focusing on understanding EVs and the risk of their batteries and high voltage systems. This training must prepare them to respond to any issues during shipping effectively.
The Challenges of Shipping Electric Vehicles Overseas
Electric vehicle batteries are what essentially make shipping them overseas a challenge. These challenges primarily involve handling their battery’s weight and lithium-ion technology. The following lines discuss key overseas shipping challenges for EVs in more detail:
Battery Weight and Size
EVs have heavier and bulkier batteries than traditional car engines. As a result of this weight, car shippers must be trained enough to load, unload, and secure these cars within shipping containers. They must also use specialized equipment that prevents vehicle damage during the process.
Lithium-ion Battery Hazards
Lithium-ion in EV batteries is dangerous for shipping. This means that car shippers must follow strict regulations and specialized handling procedures when shipping these cars to prevent safety hazards.
Risk of Thermal Runaway
Lithium-ion batteries can undergo thermal runaway under specific conditions like excessive heat impact or internal damage; this can lead to fires or explosions, posing a significant safety risk during transport.
Evolving Regulations and Standards
Official departments regulating the shipping of hazardous materials, including EV batteries, constantly develop their regulations internationally, and car shippers must stay compliant with these rules; this requires car shippers to stay updated on the latest rules in origin and destination countries from reliable and authentic resources.
Potential for Delays
Electric vehicles undergo additional scrutiny during customs inspections since they have hazardous, flammable batteries, increasing potential shipping delays.
Environmental Considerations
While ocean freight plays a crucial role in EV transportation, it also contributes to carbon emissions; this brings the responsibility to explore new shipping methods that minimize the environmental impact on shippers and automakers. For example, car shippers can use more sustainable fuels and optimize shipping routes to mitigate these emissions, while automakers can invest in shipping freight optimized to meet these environmental considerations.
How Overseas Car Shipping Streamlines EV Supply Chain
The overseas car shipping industry has made a major contribution to the growth and success of the global EV market. It significantly shapes the US EV market by expanding consumer choice, stimulating competition, and facilitating the global EV supply chain.
Car shippers are crucial in transporting finished EVs from overseas manufacturing plants to ports for export. They ensure that vehicles are handled safely and delivered on schedule while managing ocean freight logistics effectively.
When these cars arrive at the country’s ports, car shippers must be ready to distribute these cars to different parts of the states. This is where nationwide car shipping companies become crucial.
These companies offer efficient and secure transportation methods for different vehicle types, working with experienced drivers and carrying sufficient insurance coverage. Most importantly, they must be capable of handling the specific requirements of EVs and have enough experience in the field.
Tempus Logix is a reputable and professional car shipping company across the United States. The company offers shipping services from and to ports for vehicles transported internationally.
Conclusion
Shipping electric cars overseas presents unique challenges compared to traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. Their specific characteristics and battery sensitivity are imposed on shippers following the best safety practices imposed by regulatory organizations in the country
