Giant ro‑ro vessel Glovis Lighthouse sails to Europe with record 8,000 Chinese NEVs — 230 meters long, 14 car decks for green machines
The 230‑meter‑long, 40‑meter‑wide roll‑on/roll‑off vessel can carry up to 10,800 cars. On its maiden voyage to Europe, it loaded over 8,000 NEVs (electric and hybrid vehicles). Loading took place at two ports: Shanghai provided 4,000 cars, Shenzhen (Xiaomo) added another 3,000. This is the single largest batch of Chinese electric vehicles ever exported by sea.
As reported by CCTV+, one of the world's largest roll‑on/roll‑off vessels, Glovis Lighthouse, departed from the Xiaomo International Logistics Port in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, southern China, on Friday, carrying more than 8,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs) on its maiden voyage to Europe. This marks a new record for the largest single batch of Chinese NEVs exported by sea. Earlier, the vessel loaded more than 4,000 NEVs at Shanghai port. At Xiaomo port, it took on another 3,000 vehicles, bringing the total to over 8,000 units.
The Glovis Lighthouse is 230 meters long and 40 meters wide, with 14 decks of garage space and a maximum capacity of 10,800 cars — twice that of a standard ro‑ro vessel.
The ship is operated by South Korean shipping company Glovis. Ro‑ro (roll‑on/roll‑off) vessels allow cargo to drive on and off under its own power. For NEVs, this method is especially convenient as it requires no complex lifting equipment. Xiaomo port is a key logistics hub in southern China specializing in automobile exports. The record shipment shows that Europe continues to actively buy Chinese NEVs despite trade restrictions.
The sea is no longer a barrier. It has become a highway where not only containers float but entire fleets of electric vehicles. The Glovis Lighthouse is a floating garage as tall as a ten‑story building. The 8,000 cars that rolled onto the decks in Shanghai and Shenzhen will, in a few weeks, be driving on European roads. Each of them carries a piece of Chinese technological ingenuity wrapped in a steel hull. And as the ship cuts through the waves, somewhere in the ports of Rotterdam or Hamburg, preparations are already underway to welcome this green armada. Because the climate cannot wait, and demand for clean transport knows no borders.
