Fisker Fires

[Grendal]

I wouldn't want to buy any of those three either.

Okay. Important safety tip: don't immerse your Karma in water. The results might be...not good.

 

[ckessel]

I wouldn't want to buy any of those three either.

Okay. Important safety tip: don't immerse your Karma in water. The results might be...not good.

In fairness, pretty much any car is going to be totaled after full immersion.

 

[vfx]

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.

Infinitis after flooding

Would be nice if pure EVs did not do this

 

[vfx]

Okay. Important safety tip: don't immerse your Karma in water. The results might be...not good.

I believe the instructions that came with my TV said something like that.

 

[CyberDutchie]

Aren't all cars that get submerged in water declared a total loss and generally considered unsalvageable? In these situations, whether they caught on fire or not, from an insurance perspective it is a mood point.

 

[ElSupreme]

I believe the instructions that came with my TV said something like that.

I know my toaster did!

 

[4sevens.com]

Bad Karma. Bad BAD Karma LOL

 

[Larry Chanin]

We're viewing not only a failure in design, but a failure of their logistics crew to exercise common sense in the face on an oncoming hurricane.

Larry

 

[doug]

Aren't all cars that get submerged in water declared a total loss and generally considered unsalvageable? In these situations, whether they caught on fire or not, from an insurance perspective it is a mood point.

Yes. And the fire may have nothing to do with the EV specific components. It's just some seriously bad luck for Fisker, though. When are they not in damage control?

 

[Thumper]

In the back and to the right, there appear to be at least two Karmas that did not catch fire. I wonder why some did and some didn't.

 

[vfx]

In the back and to the right, there appear to be at least two Karmas that did not catch fire. I wonder why some did and some didn't.

The wind was not blowing that way.

 

[rolosrevenge]

It would be curious to know how long they were submerged, was it a total submersion, etc. I could see a problem with your car sliding off the road into the water, it'd be nice to know that you didn't have to worry about explosions in that case, though I can see a problem for any Li battery then.

 

[Doug_G]

In the back and to the right, there appear to be at least two Karmas that did not catch fire. I wonder why some did and some didn't.

It's possible that one vehicle caught fire (or maybe a couple) and set the others ablaze. They were pretty close together.

 

[brianman]

Infinitis after flooding
View attachment 11189

Would be nice if pure EVs did not do this

My impression from that picture is that it is of a dealership since the vehicles look to be the same model. Is this yet another weak point of the "stock on hand" dealership model?

 

[spatterso911]

Is this yet another weak point of the "stock on hand" dealership model?

Only if you're a dealer...

The manufacturer has already made it's cash.

 

[strider]

Only if you're a dealer...

The manufacturer has already made it's cash.

I'm not in the industry but I had heard that most dealerships don't pay for the cars until they sell them. The factory "loans" them the cars at a super-low interest rate and the dealer pays off the "loan" when the car is sold. Also, I would assume the have insurance for such things - especially after Irene last year, it's not like they didn't have a heads-up.

 

[Grendal]

It's possible that one vehicle caught fire (or maybe a couple) and set the others ablaze. They were pretty close together.

Damaged Goods: Fisker Karmas Ignite in Lot after Hurricane Sandy - WOT on Motor Trend

Motor Trends picture shows there are at least 10 Karmas that didn't catch fire. I'd say that there was one or two that caught fire and the others were just collateral damage.

 

[spatterso911]

I'm not in the industry but I had heard that most dealerships don't pay for the cars until they sell them. The factory "loans" them the cars at a super-low interest rate and the dealer pays off the "loan" when the car is sold. Also, I would assume the have insurance for such things - especially after Irene last year, it's not like they didn't have a heads-up.

With more information in, it seems as though Fisker may be on the hook, as the cars caught fire at the dock, prior to being delivered to dealerships.

@Strider, you're right that insurance will pay for the cars, whether they are a dealer's loss or a Fisker loss. As far as dealership acquisition of new cars goes, it depends on whether Fisker finances the sell of the new units to each franchised dealer or not. In essence, the dealership either pays full sale price (wholesale) to OEM upfront, or finances the sale through a special financing division of the OEM. They must pay a finance charge and payment to the dealership, and receive incentives for paying the loan early as bundled in dealer hold back. It's why dealerships must sell their inventory early or risk losing money daily as the cars sit on lots. The OEM gets its money no matter what. Either insurance or the dealer will pay them if the fires happen on the dealership's watch.

 

[4sevens.com]

Yet another Fisker fire.

Cars just shouldn't go up in flames... especially when theres water involved.
Fisker Karmas catch fire after being submerged by Hurricane Sandy flood | Fox News

They should remarket their "extended range" claim to be a more accurate "extended burn"...

- - - Updated - - -

Correction... thats fireS.

16 burned down to a crisp. If that isn't consistency I don't know what is.

 

[mattjs33]

We're viewing not only a failure in design, but a failure of their logistics crew to exercise common sense in the face on an oncoming hurricane.

Same failure of the taxi company that left behind a hundred or so taxis to get flooded, I'm sure you've seen the picture. Same as the lot of school buses that weren't moved out of the way of Katrina.

Some people are apparently too naive or lazy to bother ensuring the safety of moveable assets.