Update On Electric Vehicles + A List Of Banned Cars

To ensure safe voyage, ocean carriers have announced new rules and regulations for vehicles they allow on ocean vessels.

Electric cars and motorcycles are allowed to be shipped in containers. We continue to accept and ship electric cars with undamaged batteries to all regions of the world, in both consolidated and customer exclusive containers. 

Get the details below and contact your dedicated account manager if you have any questions.

1. Electric Vehicles Must Be Classified As Hazardous Cargo

Ocean carriers require that electric cars and motorcycles are classified as Hazardous Class 9 cargo. The classification comes at an additional cost of $250 per vehicle in a shared container, or $500 per full container. This charge is applied to all electric cars and motorcycles shipped.

2. Batteries Must Be Without Damage

Please note that we can only accept electric vehicles for shipping if the batteries are undamaged. If batteries are discovered to be damaged, we will not load them for export and you will be charged for storage and any additional in & out fees.

While most carriers are satisfied with these requirements, a few carriers remain more difficult to work with when shipping electric vehicles.

Carriers like CMA-CGM demand that electric vehicles are loaded only in refrigerated containers, which are typically used for fruits, vegetables, and other perishable goods. Shipping in a refrigerated container comes at a greater cost than classifying cargo as hazardous, and it complicates the shipping process at both the origin and destination. Thankfully, most carriers continue to accept electric vehicles in standard containers and we have options for all destinations.

3. Recalled Cars NOT Allowed To Be Shipped

There are certain vehicles which ocean carriers do not accept onboard their vessels. These are the vehicles which have been recalled by the manufacturer due to increased risks of fire;

• 2022-2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz
• 2019-2023 Hyundai Santa Fe
• 2021-2023 Santa Fe Hybrid
• 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid
• 2022-2023 Kia Carnival

We are not accepting these vehicles for shipping and we suggest you do not purchase them for export.