The World’s Largest Car Carrier Arrives in Michoacán

The Port of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, welcomed the Glovis Leader, the world’s largest car carrier in its class, with a capacity to transport more than 10,000 vehicles or car equivalent units (CEU).

The vessel conducted its commercial operations at the Specialized Automobile Terminal (TEA), operated by SSA Marine México, where it unloaded heavy machinery and vehicles from BYD and Ford, as well as loaded vehicles from Kia, General Motors, and Nissan for export to other markets, according to port authorities.

The impressive vessel, launched just on January 21, carried out its maneuvers without incident thanks to the port’s exceptional natural and technical characteristics—it is the deepest port in all of Mexico—and whose access channels and docks offer the competitive advantages and draft depths necessary to safely receive vessels of this magnitude.

The Glovis Leader belongs to the family of car carriers known as Pure Car Carriers (PCC) or Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTC), a subcategory of Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) roll-on/roll-off vessels, and is the first to exceed a capacity of 10,000 vehicles, capable of transporting 10,800 CEU.

It was built at the Guangzhou Shipyard International for the South Korean firm Hyundai Glovis Co., Ltd., formerly known as Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), and measures 230 meters in length, 40 meters in beam, and has a draft of 10.5 meters, as well as a gross tonnage of 102,588 metric tons.

Its interior is divided into 14 decks, five of which are adjustable to accommodate large vehicles.