EV owners left puzzled after huge Canadian ferry company could strand thousands of EVs over battery concerns
Published on Aug 15, 2025 at 4:52 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Aug 15, 2025 at 4:52 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
EV owners in Canada have been left puzzled after a huge Canadian ferry company could strand thousands of electric vehicles over battery concerns.
Reported earlier in the summer, B.C. Ferries refused to let a tow truck with a damaged EV battery board a vessel, citing a risk with the lithium-ion batteries.
The new policy left plenty of owners, as well as experts and technicians, scratching their heads, as it could leave thousands of vehicles stranded at the Gulf Islands or on the Sunshine Coast.
B.C. Ferries announced the policy in June 2025, but it is still confusing customers nearly two months later.
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What EV owners have to deal with from the new policy
The company has been concerned about the potential for a catastrophe if a damaged EV battery gets onboard
B.C. Ferries believes that there could be a risk of combustion in damaged lithium-ion batteries.
The tow truck stopped from boarding one of its vessels had it not been involved in any accident.
To clarify its position, a company spokesperson said in June that ‘EVs can still travel with us.’
But that hasn’t stopped customers from being confused.
Talking to the Vancouver Sun, Squamish EV owner Bod Porter said that the move would ‘make people paranoid.’
Not helping matters is that the policy is a blanket approach, meaning it’s not clear what vehicles are classed as safe or not.
Who will police the new ferry policy?
Electric vehicle owners are now wondering what these battery concerns mean for them.
One question being asked is who determines if their vehicles are safe or not.
Given how so many other systems could go wrong with an EV, it leaves plenty of questions unanswered.
Jonathan Vipond, the owner of Salt Spring Island Towing, recently spoke about what repairs would be involved to make an electric car safe to travel.
He said that simple repairs could be undertaken on the Gulf Islands.
However, more complex repairs will be required sometimes, and they would need to be done at a dealership, a ferry ride away.
It is easy to see why so many have been left confused by the situation.
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Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
