Hyundai Glovis equips car carrier ships with fire suppression system

By Nam Hyun-woo

Hyundai Glovis has equipped all of its car carrier ships with the EV Drill Lance, a specialized fire suppression system, the company said Tuesday. This measure is designed to swiftly extinguish fires that may occur during the maritime transport of finished vehicles, reducing potential damage.

The EV Drill Lance is engineered to efficiently suppress fires in electric vehicles (EVs) by drilling directly into the battery pack at the bottom of the vehicle and injecting water to cool and extinguish the flames.

The operating process involves several key steps: the EV Drill Lance, connected to a fire hydrant hose, is placed beneath a burning EV. Strong water pressure powers a turbine that activates the drill. Within two minutes, the drill penetrates both the vehicle body and the battery pack. Water is then injected through the opening to quickly extinguish the fire.

Fires on ships have a high risk of rapidly spreading due to the densely packed cargo, making early suppression essential for minimizing damage and ensuring safety.

Hyundai Glovis, the logistics arm of Hyundai Motor Group, expects that the EV Drill Lance will significantly shorten fire suppression time, preventing flames from spreading to nearby vehicles.

Since its initial deployment on the car carrier ship Glovis Sirius in October 2024, Hyundai Glovis completed the installation of EV Drill Lances on all 32 of its vessels by the end of the year.

Hyundai Glovis is also researching ways to electrify the components of the EV Drill Lance to enable remote operation. Once implemented, this functionality will allow crew members to operate the equipment from a safe distance. Furthermore, the electrified system can be deployed more quickly than manually transported devices, improving early fire response efficiency.

“By strengthening our fire response system for maritime vehicle transportation, we aim to provide safer, more specialized services, enhancing both our transport competitiveness and business performance,” a Hyundai Glovis official said.