Shipping a combustion car is a solved problem. Shipping an electric one is also a solved problem, but a different one, and a quote that treats them as identical is a quote from someone who has not done it.
State of charge is regulated, not arbitrary
Lithium batteries are shipped at a partial state of charge because a full pack carries more stored energy and more risk. We ship every unit between 30% and 50%. This is not a preference; carriers ask, and a car presented outside that window can be refused at the terminal.
The paperwork is different
- UN38.3 test summary for the battery
- Dangerous goods declaration naming the pack
- Carrier acceptance for EV cargo on that specific sailing
- Loading photographs showing lashing and chocking
The UN38.3 documentation travels with the car and several customs authorities now ask for it on arrival. If it is missing, the car waits.
Container against RoRo, for an EV specifically
Container is the default for one to four units. The car is sealed in our yard and not touched again until your yard, which matters more for an EV than a combustion car because the damage that is expensive is underbody damage to the pack, and it is the damage least likely to be spotted at handover.
RoRo is cheaper per unit at volume and faster to load, but the car is driven on and off by port staff at both ends and only RoRo-equipped ports are served. For a landlocked Central Asian destination, neither applies — rail container through Khorgos or Alashankou is faster than sea and avoids two transhipments.
How to tell whether your supplier has shipped one
Ask what state of charge they ship at and who their carrier is for EV cargo. Anyone who has done it answers immediately and specifically. Anyone who has not will talk about the car instead of the battery.
