In February 2022, the Felicity Ace cargo ship caught fire and ultimately sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Some 4,000 cars perished in the fiery incident, most of which were new vehicles from various Volkswagen Group brands. But the drama isn't over; the German juggernaut is facing not one but two lawsuits.
Bloomberg reports that VW Group has been sued twice over allegations the fire started from a lithium-ion battery pack inside a Porsche that was on its way to a customer. Felicity Ace caught fire near the Azores archipelago while carrying an estimated $155 million worth of high-end cars, including 1,110 Porsches. Plaintiffs claim one of those cars sparked the fire that subsequently generated a veritable cartastrophe.
One of the lawsuits was filed in a court in Stuttgart where Porsche calls home. The lawsuit is led by the cargo ship's operator, Mitsui OSK Lines, and Felicity Ace's insurer, Allianz. Interestingly, this lawsuit was filed over a year ago, but its progression has been halted due to mediation talks for a second lawsuit in a Brunswick court, located in Lower Saxony, Germany.
Additional discussions between the involved parties are scheduled for later this month. If a settlement is not reached, the lawsuits will resume. According to documents related to the initial 2023 lawsuit, the plaintiffs accuse VW of withholding information about the risks associated with transporting electrified cars. Moreover, the lawsuit filed in the Stuttgart court alleges that VW failed to disclose the necessary precautions for safely transporting the cars.
Bloomberg reports the fire started from a Porsche EV, which can only be the Taycan. However, it's worth noting the automaker also sells a variety of Cayenne and Panamera versions with plug-in hybrid powertrains that have smaller battery packs. Parent company VW has confirmed the two lawsuits while Mitsui OSK Lines and Allianz refused to comment on the matter.
Attached below is an incomplete list of the VW Group cars that perished that day. There were also many privately owned vehicles that went under together with Felicity Ace. Notable mentions include a 2015 Ford Mustang GT, a Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0, a 2007 BMW 750i, and even a JDM-spec 1996 Honda Prelude SiR. In addition, there was a 1977 Land Rover Santana, which was built in Spain under license from Land Rover by using complete knock-down kits of the Defender.
As a reminder, Lamborghini had to restart production of the Aventador to replace the 15 Ultimae units lost on the burned and sunken cargo ship.
| Make and Model | Number of Cars |
| Audi A5 Convertible | 84 |
| Audi A5 Coupe | 43 |
| Audi A5 Sportback | 147 |
| Audi E-Tron | 121 |
| Audi Q3 | 297 |
| Audi Q3 Sportback | 144 |
| Bentley Bentayga | 77 |
| Bentley Continental GT | 38 |
| Bentley Continental GTC | 50 |
| Bentley Flying Spur | 25 |
| Lamborghini Aventador | 15 |
| Lamborghini Huracan | 20 |
| Lamborghini Urus | 50 |
| Porsche | 23 made in Zuffenhausen, 19 in Leipzig, and 126 in Bratislava |
| Volkswagen Caddy | 47 |
| Volkswagen Golf | 199 |
| Volkswagen ID.4 | 159 |
| Volkswagen T6 | 116 |
