Legal repercussions for the VW Group after the sinking of the ‘Felicity Ace’

Following the sinking of the car freighter 'Felicity Ace' in the Atlantic in February 2022, the ship's owner and insurance companies have sued Porsche and another Volkswagen company for damages because they suspect batteries were the cause.

The plaintiffs claim that the fire started in a Porsche whose lithium-ion battery allegedly caught fire. Porsche failed to point out the danger and any necessary precautions when transporting its electric cars. The plaintiffs have therefore asserted claims against Porsche totalling at least almost 30 million euros. This has been confirmed by a spokesperson for the Stuttgart Regional Court.

It is unclear which other Volkswagen company is involved – a second case is pending in Braunschweig. It was known that an unspecified number of VW ID.4s were also on the ship – as well as vehicles from Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini.

The ship ‘Felicity Ace’ set sail from Emden in February 2022 to transport almost 4,000 vehicles from various VW brands to the USA. A fire broke out on board near the Azores, as a result of which the ship later sank. Where exactly the fire broke out on the ship, which was around 200 metres long, and what caused it was never conclusively clarified. It now remains to be seen whether the courts will follow the call of the Japanese ship owners.

bnnbloomberg.ca