Steamship Authority amends electric vehicle policy 

With the right documentation, electric vehicles with cosmetic damage will be able to ride on Steamship Authority ferries following an update to a policy that has faced scrutiny, although local mechanics say the amendment may not go far enough. 

As of Feb. 20, the ferry line’s policy will allow a damaged electric vehicle to board Steamship vessels if the owner can provide documentation from a mechanic certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) noting that the vehicle is safe to travel. 

The change comes a month after the MV Times reported that some Islanders had scrutinized a  ferry line policy barring damaged electric vehicles from boarding vessels. Islanders had noted that the policy made them hesitant to move away from combustion engine cars in favor of electric vehicles. 

The Steamship passed the policy out of concern of an electric vehicle catching fire from salt water while aboard one of their vessels and originally relied solely on Steamship captains and agents to determine whether an electric vehicle was safe to board on a ferry.

According to Sean Driscoll, Steamship communications director, the amendment had actually been in practice for several months before the story’s publication but wasn’t formalized until Feb. 20. 

“We have been communicating the policy to customers as they have asked about the process for transporting their vehicles,” Driscoll said. “I can’t speak to the timeline of formalizing the policy.” 

However, the issue for Islanders who want to take an electric vehicle off-Island for repairs remains. There are ASE-certified mechanics on Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod, but a mechanic might not be willing to sign off on the documentation over fears of what could happen after signing off on a damaged vehicle. 

Angel Figueroa, owner of MV Autoworks and Angel’s Auto Body in Vineyard Haven, said that while his business employs ASE-certified mechanics, there is liability to consider in case an electric vehicle had a “cascade failure” leading to severe damage to a ferry or injury and health problems to people aboard. 

“We’re not just talking about the certification,” Figueroa said. “They would write songs about that disaster.” 

Figueroa said most cars that suffered accidents on the Island go through his auto body shop, but details about compensation and insurance policies to cover a potential electric vehicle disaster aboard a ferry have not been solidified with the Steamship Authority. He said the amended policy wasn’t enough. 

“You’re going to need to have a lot more in place,” Figueroa said, particularly around liability. 

While ASE does provide electric vehicle certifications for mechanics — including evaluating the condition of a battery — an organization representative stated this required additional training beyond the entry-level certification program. 

The updated policy also provides a time limit on how long a certified mechanic’s green light can last. 

“The documentation from an ASE certified mechanic will only qualify the damaged vehicle, for three (3) months,” the policy amendment reads. “Updated documentation will be needed for future passage of the damaged electric vehicle.”

Beginning in February of 2023, the Steamship Authority started blocking damaged electric vehicles, at the discretion of captains and terminal staff, from riding on its vessels. 

The decision stemmed from an advisory issued by the U.S. Coast Guard in January 2023, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. The advisory states that first responders “encountered numerous vehicle fires involving electronic vehicles (EVs) that are powered by lithium-ion batteries.” Investigations revealed the vehicle fires resulted from the batteries’ exposure to saltwater.

According to EV Firesafe, an electric vehicle research and consultation organization funded by the Australian government, electric vehicles that have been submerged in saltwater for hours or days have a higher risk of their lithium-ion batteries — the most common battery type in electric vehicles — short-circuiting and catching fire. The organization does note that fires stemming from electric vehicle batteries are very rare. 

The ferry line’s electric vehicle policy is also enforced by U.S. Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England.