BMW fights to stop sale of burnt cars on Fremantle highway

BMW thinks the cars are unsafe, but the company that bought the vehicles salvaged from the burning container ship thinks otherwise.

BMW wants to stop selling its cars. Well, more specifically, the ones that came from the Fremantle Highway container ship that caught fire almost a year ago. After the fire was extinguished, crews salvaged 260 brand new (but now salvaged) BMWs from the ship. A Taiwanese insurance company then sold the cars to a consortium of companies in Rotterdam.

This group now wants to make a profit on these vehicles, and BMW is challenging this action in court.

Read: The shipping world isn’t ready to deal with the risks posed by electric vehicles, and here’s why

As a reminder, in July 2023, a fire broke out on the Fremantle Highway car transporter, raising concerns that the electric vehicles (EVs) on board were the cause. Investigations later debunked this theory. However, the fire damaged several vehicles, including many electric vehicles. Despite the incident, the salvage company reports that around 1,000 vehicles, including around 500 electric vehicles, appear to be in good condition and salvageable.

Late last year, BMW discovered that the 260 vehicles salvaged and sold to the consortium were going up for sale. He filed an injunction for security reasons. He believes these cars pose a significant danger and does not want anyone to buy them. The companies that own the cars clearly disagree about their overall condition.

A video from nine months ago likely shows some of the cars in question. Security teams appear to remove and then handle the cars in the same way they would a fully functional vehicle. Does this mean they are actually safe?

Absolutely not. BMW does not seem ready to give in on this potential danger. “The risks associated with these cars being declared a total loss are enormous,” said a BMW lawyer according to NorthernTimes. “These risks should not be underestimated. »

Obviously, the consortium was even willing to compromise. Of course, this is the kind of evil compromise that one would expect from a consortium. If BMW had accepted it, the group of companies would have been allowed to sell the cars in countries where automotive standards are not so strict. This way, BMW’s reputation would have an extra layer of protection. The German carmaker said no.

More: Fremantle highway rescue video shows burnt out Mercedes EQE EV submerged for safety reasons

For now, we’ll see what happens at the next hearing on July 15. In the meantime, we’ll let you speak.

Should these cars all go to scrap? Should we save some of them? What is the right decision here? Let us know in the comments below.

Photo credit: TSN AgriCultureVideos