Porsche is going through two separate lawsuits in Germany concerning a automotive service hearth in 2022, claimed to have been ignited by one of many model’s electrical autos (EVs) onboard the ship.

In February 2022, a hearth broke out on the Panama-flagged, Japanese-run Felicity Ace automotive service, sparked by one of many circa-3800 autos on the vessel.

The ship – which had departed Germany and was on the best way to a US port in Rhode Island – later capsized and sank 400 kilometres off the Portuguese coast, although all 22 crew members had been rescued unhurt.

Enterprise publication Bloomberg stories each Mitsui – the ship’s operator – and the automotive service’s insurer Allianz have filed lawsuits in opposition to Porsche in Germany, alleging the fireplace was triggered by a defective EV made by the marque.

In keeping with the plaintiffs, Porsche’s mother or father firm Volkswagen failed to tell Mitsui and Allianz of the hazards and precautionary measures required to move an EV.

It’s reported the circumstances had been filed final yr however the plaintiffs and judges haven’t been in a position to agree on the quantity of collateral to be posted earlier than proceedings start.

Whereas Volkswagen confirmed it had acquired the lawsuits when requested by Bloomberg, it didn’t present a remark concerning the allegations.

The Felicity Ace was carrying a mixture of new and used autos, which included 15 Lamborghini Aventador Ultimaes – leading to manufacturing of the supercar restarting to finish the unfulfilled deliveries. 

No Australian-bound autos had been affected.

MORE: Right here’s a listing of automobiles that sank with the Felicity Ace automotive service