A realistic landed cost has five layers: the car price, export-side fees (deregistration, export license, inland trucking to the port), international freight and insurance, destination duties and taxes, and local charges (port handling, inspection, registration). Buyers most often underestimate three items. First, destination duties are calculated on the customs value, which may include freight, so a cheap car can still attract significant tax. Second, port and terminal charges at both ends add up; demurrage fees apply quickly if documents are late. Third, compliance costs such as homologation, emissions testing, or translation of documents can run into hundreds of dollars depending on the country. Ask every exporter for a written, itemized quote to your port, not just an FOB price, and keep a 5% contingency. Quotes that look unusually cheap usually hide costs in the freight or handling lines.

This is considered a force majeure risk. We will require the vehicle's state of charge (SOC) to be maintained in a safe dormant range of 30%-50% before loading, and we will insure you for all marine risks under CIF terms. If the battery suffers thermal runaway total loss due to abnormal cargo hold temperatures, the insurance company will compensate.

The 12V battery is small but critical: when it dies, the car cannot start, unlock, or charge. Used EVs often have weak 12V batteries because they sit on lots for months. Before shipping, ask the exporter to: 1. Measure the battery voltage after the car has rested overnight. It should read around 12.4-12.8V; anything under 12.2V means the battery is degraded. 2. Start the car and check that the charging system holds 13.8-14.4V, confirming the DC-DC converter works. 3. Scan for stored fault codes related to low voltage, which indicate the battery has been deeply discharged repeatedly. During ocean freight, the battery slowly self-discharges. Ask that it be disconnected or kept on a maintainer before loading, and budget for a replacement after arrival if the battery is over 3 years old. A new 12V battery costs little compared to being stranded at the port.