Fisker Fires

[gg_got_a_tesla]

To be fair to Fisker,

- Being submerged in saltwater would not be a normal thing for any car; this is really an "Act of God" that the friendly folks at Jalopnik are feasting on. Water testing at the factory (and in rain in real life) is with fresh water, of course.

- We don't know if this wouldn't have happened with other mid-to-large battery EVs including the Model S.

Takeaway: get cars in general and EVs in particular to higher ground in the face of a storm surge or a tsunami.

 

[Tommy]

One thing to keep in mind regarding the fires: Looking at the photo, the cars were all in close proximity to each other; one caches fire and all will be engulfed in fire if there were high wind conditions at the time. Remember the strong winds from Sandy contributed to 80+ homes being burned to the ground. So, the number of Fiskers burned shouldn't assumed to be all point of origin fires; most likely one car was the point of origin and the others caught on fire due to the exposure of flames from the first car to catch fire.

 

[60TTuC]

My concern is that this can scare a lot of people away from EVs. I'd like to see Tesla toss an S into a water tank to show how it doesn't explode or catch on fire. But just wait until mine is built. Can't handle anymore wait anxiety!!

Maybe Tesla should remind people that submarines are propelled by electricity only under water.

 

[Lloyd]

There is a bad joke here somewhere.

Fisker has bad Karma, the Atlantic is the next model for Fisker, and the Atlantic is what caused 16 Karmas to burn!

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

There is a bad joke here somewhere.

Fisker has bad Karma, the Atlantic is the next model for Fisker, and the Atlantic is what caused 16 Karmas to burn!

:biggrin: a pretty good one actually!

 

[doug]

One thing to keep in mind regarding the fires: Looking at the photo, the cars were all in close proximity to each other; one caches fire and all will be engulfed in fire if there were high wind conditions at the time.

True. Also a normal ICE car can catch fire from an electrical short that might result from saltwater. It seems the previous Karma fires were from ICE associated components.

Hopefully Fisker investigates the cause of this fire.

 

[Doug_G]

I can't help noticing that there were 100's of other unburnt cars in the background...

 

[hcsharp]

To be fair to Fisker,

- Being submerged in saltwater would not be a normal thing for any car; ...

Hmmm. Some of us feel like our cars are submerged, or at least bathed in salt water in the winter time. And it's much more concentrated than sea water. I will have days when I open the trunk and the PEM and battery are soaking in salt water. Later they turn white if it's too cold for me to rinse them off. I realize that's different than pressurized salt water (as in being underwater). Still, I'm not ready to blame Fisker yet. It's sad what the press does with equating problems like this to EVs.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Update from Fisker posted on the same Jalopnik page:

UPDATE: Fisker released the following statement:

“It was reported today that several Fisker Karmas were damaged by fire at the Port of Newark after being submerged in sea water during Superstorm Sandy. We can report that there were no injuries and none of the cars were being charged at the time.

We have confidence in the Fisker Karma and safety is our primary concern. While we intend to find the cause as quickly as possible, storm damage has restricted access to the port.

We will issue a further statement once the root cause has been determined.”

 

[earthling]

Kinda makes me think about the wicked witch of the west...

 

[doug]

We can report that there were no injuries and none of the cars were being charged at the time.

They must have that in the form letter by now.

 

[sp4rk]

I can't help noticing that there were 100's of other unburnt cars in the background...

My thoughts exactly.

Another scary thought is that in all likelihood insurance underwriters (Lloyd's?), may require policy riders for ocean shipped Karmas.

(And all EV's.)

We don't know if the Karma needs submerging in salt water. Or just a good stormy sea. If it is fire hazard at sea, what about the resulting potential of a sinking ship, oil spill, and fire damage to other containers on the ship?

Are they shipped in the open or in containers?

Telsa will have to, just as will Volt and Leaf, immerse their own cars. I would expect government / insurance to mandate this.

 

[smorgasbord]

Here's a video of ICE cars burning after the Japanese Tsunami: [video]http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=240033#p240033[/video]

So, it apparently does happen to "normal" cars as well.

 

[wycolo]

> cars burning after the Japanese Tsunami [smorgasbord]

But that was a demolition derby.

Before shipping by ocean, all high voltage batts should be unconnected to the extent they are no longer high voltage. And then disconnected from everything else. Once again Fisker can't think outside the box.
--

 

[Tommy]

I can't help noticing that there were 100's of other unburnt cars in the background...

Though it doesn't make for dramatic photos or commentary, ANY vehicle be it ICE or electric submerged in sea water is going to be a salvage title vehicle. So though no physical damage is visible to the eye, one can be sure that most of the car's components and contents are damaged.

 

[tennis_trs]

...
Another scary thought is that in all likelihood insurance underwriters (Lloyd's?), may require policy riders for ocean shipped Karmas.

(And all EV's.)
...

My employer shipped my Roadster Sport for my move last November and the shipping company required no extra cost (nor extra preparation) for it beyond an ICE and they knew the make and model before quoting the cost. I hope there is no significant change in what they will charge before I ship it back.

 

[FiskerAtlantic]

These Fisker Karma's (way more than 16) we're submerged in over 2 ft of ocean/salt water (+oil and other contaminates) for hours. This is a recipe for such an electrical short equating to a fire. Likely one caught the others on fire. Li battery under ocean water for an extended period of time is not good for your Fisker, your Tesla, or any car for that matter.

 

[vfx]

Ya park 16 Karmas an waddu get?




fire!

 

[doug]

Ya park 16 Karmas an waddu get?

another bad Karma story and deeper in debt...

 

[ElSupreme]

Ya park 16 Karmas an waddu get?




fire!

At least 3 didn't catch on fire. :redface: