EV & Battery UN Numbers for RoRo Shipping
Answer a few questions about your vehicle or battery and get the likely UN number, proper shipping name and IMDG class, plus state-of-charge guidance and the documents carriers ask for.
Describe the shipment
- Vehicle dangerous goods declaration where the carrier requires it
- Battery condition / state-of-charge attestation
- Manufacturer UN 38.3 test summary for the traction battery
- Battery capacity in kWh on the commercial invoice and packing list (carrier requirement)
- Declare the propulsion type to the carrier at booking
- Before IMDG Amendment 42-24 (mandatory 1 January 2026) battery-electric vehicles used UN3171. Documents citing UN3171 for a lithium or sodium battery vehicle are no longer correctly classified and are liable to rejection under the amendment now in force.
- The installed battery must be UN 38.3 tested, securely fastened, protected against short circuit, and undamaged (IMDG Special Provision 388).
- Lead times vary by carrier and lane, but dangerous-goods / EV bookings often need carrier approval 2 to 3 weeks ahead, and 4 to 6 weeks in peak season (roughly September to November). Prepare and tender documents early.
Reflects IMDG Amendment 42-24 (mandatory from 1 January 2026). Last reviewed July 2026.
Informational guidance only. This tool reflects common RoRo carrier practice and the IMDG Code framework. It is not regulatory or carrier advice. Thresholds are expressed as bands or common practice. Always confirm classification, documentation, and stowage with your carrier and the current IMDG amendment in force.
Shipping electrified vehicles and batteries on RoRo
Electric and hybrid vehicles, and the lithium batteries that power them, are dangerous goods under the IMDG Code. How they are classified and what they require depends on whether the battery is installed in a vehicle or shipped on its own, its chemistry, its condition, and its state of charge.
Classification changed in 2026. Under IMDG Amendment 42-24, mandatory from 1 January 2026, a battery-electric vehicle now uses its own entry (UN3556 for lithium-ion, UN3557 lithium-metal, UN3558 sodium-ion), replacing the older UN3171. Hybrids with a combustion engine stay under UN3166, the flammable-fuel vehicle entry.
After several high-profile car-carrier fires, RoRo lines also tightened handling: state-of-charge caps, condition attestations, and outright refusal of damaged or recalled batteries are now common. This checker reflects that common practice alongside the IMDG framework.
It is a starting point, not a compliance sign-off. Always confirm the exact requirements with your carrier and the current IMDG amendment before booking.
UN numbers and proper shipping names for vehicles and batteries
The entries this checker returns, under IMDG Amendment 42-24. Confirm against the amendment in force and with your carrier before you file anything.
| UN number | Proper shipping name | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| UN3556 | Vehicle, lithium ion battery powered | Battery-electric vehicle with a lithium-ion battery installed |
| UN3557 | Vehicle, lithium metal battery powered | Battery-electric vehicle with a lithium-metal battery installed |
| UN3558 | Vehicle, sodium ion battery powered | Battery-electric vehicle with a sodium-ion battery installed |
| UN3171 | Battery powered vehicle | Battery vehicle whose chemistry has no dedicated entry. It was the entry for lithium vehicles until 31 December 2025 |
| UN3166 | Vehicle, flammable liquid powered | Petrol and diesel vehicles, and hybrids with a combustion engine, where the flammable fuel governs under IMDG Special Provision 388 |
| UN3166 | Vehicle, fuel cell, flammable gas powered | Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle |
| UN3480 | Lithium ion batteries | Lithium-ion battery shipped on its own |
| UN3481 | Lithium ion batteries packed with / contained in equipment | Lithium-ion battery packed with, or installed in, equipment |
| UN3090 | Lithium metal batteries | Lithium-metal battery shipped on its own |
| UN3091 | Lithium metal batteries packed with / contained in equipment | Lithium-metal battery packed with, or installed in, equipment |
| UN3551 | Sodium ion batteries with organic electrolyte | Sodium-ion battery shipped on its own |
| UN3552 | Sodium ion batteries packed with / contained in equipment, with organic electrolyte | Sodium-ion battery packed with, or installed in, equipment |