The world’s first all-electric, zero-emissions passenger vessel, Future of the Fjords, conducted an emergency evacuation of 300 passengers on Tuesday after smoke was detected in a battery compartment. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The incident occurred on the Aurlandsfjord near Onstad, Norway, prompting the crew to alert emergency services and return to the pier for a safe evacuation by 1600 hours.
Local fire authorities treated the situation as a high-priority incident due to the potential dangers associated with lithium-ion battery fires, which can produce toxic smoke and are challenging to extinguish. Firefighters assessed the battery compartment and managed to ventilate the area, confirming that the situation was under control.
The vessel’s operator later identified the cause of the smoke: a capacitor in an electrical panel had shorted out and overheated, but it did not ignite a fire. Future of the Fjords, launched in 2018, is a carbon fiber-hulled tour boat capable of carrying 400 passengers. It can reach speeds of 16 knots for 2.5 hours on a full charge and recharges in just 20 minutes at specialized docking stations.
