Fisker Fires

[jerry33]

I guess the word "pollution" would have to be defined in this context.

The cities had a big problem with horse manure. The older houses all have steps up to the door because in some cases the manure was very deep. That was the pollution problem they were trying to solve.

 

[AnOutsider]

The cities had a big problem with horse manure. The older houses all have steps up to the door because in some cases the manure was very deep. That was the pollution problem they were trying to solve.

Writing in Popular Science Monthly in 1892, United States Commissioner of Labor Carroll D. Wright maintained that electric power was not only cheaper than horsepower, but also far more beneficial to the city from the perspective of health and safety. “The presence of so many horses constantly moving through the streets,” wrote Wright somewhat ponderously, “is a very serious matter. The vitiation of the air by the presence of so many animals is alone a sufficient reason for their removal, while the clogged condition of the streets impedes business, and involves the safety of life and limb.” While electric-powered transportation began to make inroads on the horse’s domain, improvements in the gasoline engine made it clear that the automobile would soon be a viable alternative. Even the bicycle craze of the nineties reminded many that horseless commuting was possible over reasonable distances.

Wow, I'd never considered all that. I would've been squarely in the "horse and carriages are better for the air than cars" camp. Who knows, they still might be, but this was definitely an eye opener. Thanks

 

[vfx]

The cities had a big problem with horse manure. The older houses all have steps up to the door because in some cases the manure was very deep. That was the pollution problem they were trying to solve.

I know all about the massive manure stats of the day. And that a cantankerous machine spewing out invisible(ish) exhaust would have been a godsend to dealing with the problem. I just want an apple to apples comparison the which is "worse".

The 2nd to last paragraph on your link was the best I've read on the subject. thnx

 

[rabar10]

Fisker's response to recent allegations regarding engine compartment packaging:
Press Release -Fisker Automotive

And another auto news site blog post contrasting the previous 'expert analysis' with Fisker's latest response:
Fisker fires back, refutes expert's theory on garage blaze

 

[spatterso911]

And thus, the melee begins...

 

[sp4rk]

I dunno ... I saw a Fisker Karma for the first time last week.

I have simply no idea who would buy a $116,000 (dealer sticker shock) plus tax, minus $7,500.

In my area that's $117,000 net?

Chevy Volt with similar range extender but with better finish and looks.

And a gas generator.

And apparently awful design engineering on the screen and now this fire and them "not ruling out customer fraud" ...

I am VERY curious how many, if any, have sold, at least here in Illinois.

Then again, it was on display right net to a Cadillac Escalade ... at a whopping 10mpg? Should be illegal.

If you ask me, "the lady doth protest too much".

I am sure Tesla are imperfect and when S's are delivered in thousand quantities there will be bugs to fix; but let's face it, the Roadster has been out for how many years and they've never had to endure a PR nightmare like this.

Sad.

 

[AnOutsider]

Except the "bricking", though arguably not as big as all the public bouts fisker has had to deal with.

 

[jerry33]

And a bit of research on the "bricking" incident shows that the author of the report wasn't a disinterested party. There is no reason to suspect that the investigator at the Fisker fire had any ties to any of the parties involved.

 

[stopcrazypp]

And a bit of research on the "bricking" incident shows that the author of the report wasn't a disinterested party. There is no reason to suspect that the investigator at the Fisker fire had any ties to any of the parties involved.

The difference with the bricking incident is all the investigation was already done before the media circus. Tesla had a 100% clear view of what happened before making any statements (and even then they never made a direct PR statement about the specific owner or the author of the report). Plus bricking is not really a safety issue (or even that big an issue overall as long as the owner is aware it can happen), so it's much less serious than any fire incidences.

 

[jerry33]

That's certainly true. Fisker would have been better off to withhold statements until the final investigation results were in. (Other than the "We're waiting for ..." statement).

 

[doug]

Fisker's response to recent allegations regarding engine compartment packaging:
Press Release -Fisker Automotive

And another auto news site blog post contrasting the previous 'expert analysis' with Fisker's latest response:
Fisker fires back, refutes expert's theory on garage blaze

I've said elsewhere that I think this particular response from Fisker is fine and reasonable except for the part where it attacks people offering their opinion as "irresponsible and ill-informed" and trying to "secure media attention". That part was unnecessary.

 

[vfx]

Chevy Volt with similar range extender but with better finish and looks.

And a gas generator. ....

???

Both cars work essentially the same.

 

[DuncanWatson]

I am very disappointed in the Karma.

1. I was saddened by their REEV design.
2. As it manufactured in Finland, I lost more interest as I like that Tesla and the Volt are US made cars.
3. The delays were expected in this industry but were more fuel to the fire.
4. The reliability is very poor as evidenced by the consumer reports incident, and the owner troubles. Though many were resolved by firmware changes, it doesn't breed confidence.
5. Their PR group is incompetent and handles items like this fire poorly.
6. The user interface sucks
7. 32 mile EPA all electric range is pitiful.

Personally I wish Fisker never tried to enter this market if this is how they plan on proceeding.

 

[Fr23shjive]

Jon Bereisa, a noted member of the EV1 electric-car development team, suggested to Automotive News reporter Mark Rechtin that it was the tight engine packaging in the Karma's underhood area that caused the fire.

Bereisa, now CEO of consultant Auto Lectrification, told Rechtin he had been "alarmed" by the tight packaging in the engine compartment, which left very little room for heat shielding and ventilation around the exhaust system.

Any fluid that leaked onto the exhaust--whether gasoline, brake fluid, or engine coolant--could ignite, he said.

On Friday, Fisker fired back.

The company's powertrain director, Paul Boskovitch, said in a statement, "Our technologies and engine design have been fully tested and certified at the highest level."

He slammed Bereisa's conjectures as "irresponsible and ill-informed," and suggested that he was doing nothing more than seeking "media attention for unfounded claims."

Boskovitch noted that the Karma uses non-flammable coolant, that both the brake booster and the power-steering pump and their fluid reservoirs are located on the "cold" side of the engine.

He cited extensive heat testing done on Karma prototypes, including "thousands of miles of incident-free operation in Death Valley and Palm Springs, California," as well as sustained high-speed

Fisker Karma Fire: Owner, Company, Analyst Trade Accusations

This is gonna get ugly. I'll take Fisker's testing claims with a grain of salt. We've seen the attention to detail they've put into the Karma and I wouldn't be surprised if it was poor engine design. It'll be interesting to watch this all play out.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Another Karma fire (looks to be from engine compartment this time):
http://jalopnik.com/5933859/exclusi...-on-fire-and-burns-while-owner-gets-groceries

 

[medved]

Another Karma fire (looks to be from engine compartment this time):
http://jalopnik.com/5933859/exclusi...-on-fire-and-burns-while-owner-gets-groceries

Luckily Fisker doesn't make airplanes.

 

[doug]

Another Karma fire (looks to be from engine compartment this time):
http://jalopnik.com/5933859/exclusi...-on-fire-and-burns-while-owner-gets-groceries

Given that the battery pack was intact, it was likely the engine compartment last time as well.


So this was in the neighborhood.

According to the Woodside Fire Department, the owner of the vehicle went into a store to get some groceries and came out to discover smoke pouring out of the vehicle. The owner then called the manufacturer who told him to call 911, which he did.

Funny that the owner didn't call 911 first.

Man, those guys can't catch a break. Fisker was just celebrating their new website, meant to "project a new brand face to the marketplace"
Well here it is.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Given that the battery pack was intact, it was likely the engine compartment last time as well.

It could still have been power electronics or the charger (even the coolant leak recall for risk of fire from shorting the batteries). Given the car was burned completely last time, it's pretty much impossible to tell just from the pictures.

This time it's pretty clear the fire came from the engine compartment (the smoke started there and the fire damage is isolated to that area).

Maybe that Jon Bereisa wasn't completely blowing smoke (no pun intended)?
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/show...-Karma/page159?p=137712&viewfull=1#post137712

 

[Zythryn]

I'm curious that there has been no results of the investigation of the Texas fire.
The longer the results take, the more 'anti battery' people will use these occurances as arguments.

 

[doug]

It could still have been power electronics or the charger (even the coolant leak recall for risk of fire from shorting the batteries). Given the car was burned completely last time, it's pretty much impossible to tell just from the pictures.

The engine compartment was the prime suspect in the Sugar Land, Texas Fisker fire (though Fisker statements cast suspicion on the victim). Again they reported the battery pack intact, so the fire didn't start from a battery short (I wouldn't think). The charger is pretty low power and hangs inside the left rear bumper. Also the Texas car reportedly wasn't plugged-in at the time, so the charger was inactive.


The situation with the Woodside fire does seem similar. Car caught fire shortly after being parked and was not plugged in. Would be interesting to find out what mode the car was in before the driver parked.

This picture kinda reminds me of the Terminator.