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Montenegro Shipping Lines bans all electric and hybrid electric vehicles from boarding its ferries, effective immediately
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The ban follows the September 9 fire aboard the MV June Aster off Coron, Palawan, which has killed 77 people, with 8 still missing
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Cargo manifest reportedly listed an EV among vehicles in the hold where survivors said they heard an explosion before flames spread
Ferry operator Montenegro Shipping Lines, Inc. (MSLI) has barred all electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) from boarding its ships, citing safety concerns following a fatal ferry fire in Palawan last week.
The company issued the ban in a September 16 memo to all its vessel masters, covering both passenger and cargo vehicles across all its routes, including the busy Calapan-Batangas crossing. The directive, signed by MSLI Safety and Quality Assurance Manager Capt. Romeo Region and Operations Manager Dennis Berania, with a notation from company president Vicente Montenegro, took effect immediately. Crews have been instructed to inspect every vehicle before boarding and to report any attempt to bring a prohibited vehicle on board to the company’s operations department.
“This measure is being implemented as a safety precaution to minimize the risk of fire, explosion, thermal runaway and other potential hazards associated with electric and hybrid vehicle batteries during vessel operation,” the memorandum stated.
The ban follows the September 9 fire aboard the MV June Aster, operated by Atienza Interisland Ferries, off Coron, Palawan. The death toll from the tragedy has since climbed to 77, with 8 people still missing and 43 rescued, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. Initial reports indicate the cargo manifest listed an electric vehicle, five motorcycles, a forklift, and a pickup truck in the hold where survivors said they heard an explosion before the fire spread, though investigators have not yet established that any vehicle caused the blaze. The MV June Aster’s captain, Roel Sarmiento, surfaced at the shipping company’s Palawan office on September 14 and later faced questioning.
MSLI said the ban will remain in effect until management issues a revised directive, meaning EV and hybrid owners looking to cross between Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao aboard a Montenegro vessel will need to find another carrier or leave their vehicle behind. The prohibition also extends to cargo shippers, since it covers rolling cargo in addition to private passenger vehicles.
There is currently no nationwide policy governing the carriage of EVs and hybrids aboard Philippine inter-island ferries, leaving individual operators free to set their own rules — a gap that has drawn renewed attention as the country continues to push EV adoption despite many islands being accessible only by sea. Lithium-ion battery fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish and can reignite after being doused, a risk that has prompted similar restrictions from ferry and shipping operators elsewhere, including Hawaii-based carrier Matson’s 2025 suspension of EV and plug-in hybrid shipments following a separate vessel fire.
