Volkswagen Group says the many of the 4,000 cars from its multiple brands aboard the Felicity Ace are a total loss because of a fire on board that forced the crew to abandon the container ship in the Atlantic Ocean last week.
“We fear that the fire on the ship has damaged a large number of the nearly 4,000 Group-brand vehicles to such an extent that they can no longer be delivered to customers,” the company said in release sent to Automotive News Europe Friday. “More detailed information is not yet available.”
The ship was carrying 3,965 vehicles from the VW, Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini and Bentley brands destined for the U.S. market.
The fire could cost VW Group $155 million, according to one consultant’s estimate
VW Group brands and dealers have already begun informing their customers to find solutions. The damage to the vehicles is covered by insurance, VW said.
The Panama-registered Felicity Ace caught fire on February 16 and was reported adrift more than 1,000 miles off the coast of Portugal. The 22 crew members on board were evacuated the same day.
Rough seas and the fire delayed the salvage operation, while heavy tugboats sprayed water to cool the vessel,
Some of the Volkswagen Group vehicles on board were electric. Their lithium-ion batteries made the fire very difficult to extinguish, port officials had said.
By February 21, the fire died down on a ship, as it ran out of things to burn. A salvage team was then able to board the vessel.
Of the roughly $438 million total value of goods aboard the Felicity Ace, Russell Group estimated there are $401 million worth of cars, Bloomberg reported this week.
“Volkswagen is very relieved that, according to reports from the ship-owning company, no people were harmed in the fire and no oil spills were observed,” the company’s statement said. “The ship-owning company currently reports that there is no more smoke visible on the ship, a salvage team has now boarded the ship and tugs are towing the ship away.”
At least eight major incidents involving large boats and damaged cars have occurred since 2002.
In 2019, the Grande America destined for Brazil sank with 37 Porsches aboard, including four rare, highly customized 911 GT2 RS (average prices today: $366,487, though specialized ones can approach $800,000).
price of stromectol – buy atacand 8mg order carbamazepine 400mg pills
buy amoxicillin paypal – cost amoxicillin order combivent without prescription
purchase zithromax generic – nebivolol price bystolic 20mg sale
gabapentin 800mg over the counter – anafranil 50mg cost buy itraconazole pills for sale
buy lasix 100mg – piracetam tablet buy betamethasone 20 gm for sale
augmentin 375mg drug – amoxiclav medication buy duloxetine online
generic clavulanate – nizoral 200 mg sale duloxetine 40mg cost
buy generic zanaflex – generic hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg how to buy microzide
order cialis 20mg – buy viagra online order sildenafil 50mg online
genuine viagra – purchase sildenafil pills tadalafil 20mg oral
order cenforce 100mg without prescription – glucophage 500mg price glycomet 1000mg for sale
cheap lipitor 20mg – purchase atorvastatin pills order lisinopril 2.5mg generic