On a ferry, the question isn't “is the fire out?” — it's “can we let them drive off?”
Ferries and Ro-Pax vessels carry passengers and vehicles on the same deck. Once an EV is involved in a fire, suppressing the flame is only half the job: a damaged lithium battery can reignite for up to 72 hours. The master's real problem is a decision, not a fire — and it has to be made before the ramp goes down. EVstinguish EV-X makes that decision answerable.
Why batteries reignite at all: the EV fire safety guide →
Three decisions you cannot make until reignition is ruled out
This is what makes an EV fire different on a passenger vessel. The chemistry is the same everywhere — the consequences are not.
Can passengers return to the vehicle deck?
Passengers cannot be released to their cars while a battery on the deck may still relight. Until that is resolved, the deck stays closed and the people stay where they are.
Can the remaining vehicles be driven off?
Discharge means moving hundreds of vehicles past the affected one. That cannot start on a maybe — and a ferry has nowhere to hold them in the meantime.
Can the next sailing be released?
Short-sea schedules have no slack. An unresolved battery does not just cost you this crossing; it takes the vessel out of the rotation until somebody can say the risk is over.
CO2 and fixed water-mist systems — the SOLAS baseline on most ferries — can knock the flame down. None of them answer any of these three questions, because none of them end thermal runaway. Why suppression falls short →
Three things that are only true on a Ro-Pax deck
There is nowhere to divert to, and lives are directly exposed
An EV fire during a crossing puts people at immediate risk in the same structure as the fire. Response speed and a definitive end to reignition risk — before passengers and remaining vehicles move — matter more than anything else in the response.
- Removes the reason to evacuate passengers because of an EV fire
- Remaining vehicles can be driven off once the battery is contained
The people available are the crew on board, not a fire brigade
Cars park close together and nobody is coming to help. The DBI full-scale test was run in exactly these conditions — a nine-vehicle formation at ferry-deck spacing, as little as 20 cm of clearance at the ends — and deployment needs two crew with standard firefighting qualifications.
- Works in 40 cm side / 20 cm end clearance
- Lifting cushions push neighbouring vehicles aside if needed
- Free e-learning included; no specialist qualification required
Used cars and on-board charging raise the odds every year
Ro-Pax decks carry second-hand vehicles that may have hidden battery damage, and passenger demand for on-board charging is growing. Both increase the chance that a fire reaches a battery during a crossing — which makes a planned containment response, rather than improvisation, the prudent position.
- A considered answer to the post-suppression phase
- No structural change to the vessel; stored in a fire locker
Contain the battery, keep the water off the deck
EV-X is used after your fixed system and the watermist lance have knocked the fire down. It finishes the job the suppression cannot.
Reignition uncertainty drops from 24+ hours to roughly two or three
The barrier wraps the whole vehicle and is flooded with about 3.5 tonnes of water until the battery is submerged. Because the water stays inside the barrier, it never spreads across the deck. The open top vents gas upward — unlike a sealed fire blanket, which DBI, FRSI and the NFPA warn against on EVs. The three questions above become answerable while the vessel is still on passage.
- Two crew, under 10 minutes in normal conditions
- ~3.5 t contained — vs up to 90,000 L applied to the deck conventionally
- Zero reignitions in the DBI full-scale test; battery state of charge near zero at 72 hours
Ferry operators ask
Specifications, clearance and deployment questions are answered on the EV-X system page.
Do we have to evacuate passengers for an EV fire if we carry EV-X?
Can we complete the crossing and discharge normally?
Does carrying EV-X change our SMS or need flag-state approval?
How many units does a ferry need?
Request a vessel-specific technical review
We assess your deck layout, clearances, water supply and SMS fit for your ferry or Ro-Pax type — a
due-diligence step, not a purchase commitment. You can also request the full DBI test report and video.
Prefer to talk? Email tech@sepcotech.com
· +45 6916 2400
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