The company’s engineers, working with an independent fire expert, determined that a cooling fan had an internal fault that caused it to fail, overheat and start a slow-burning fire.
Fisker has completed its investigation of the recent incident in which a Karma sedan caught fire outside a Silicon Valley grocery store. The company’s engineers, working with an independent fire expert, determined that a cooling fan had an internal fault that caused it to fail, overheat and start a slow-burning fire.
Fisker announced that it will recall 2,400 Karmas to replace the fan and install an additional fuse for added protection. Owners will be contacted by retailers to schedule the repairs.
In an attempt to forestall the “exploding EV” narrative so loved by the press, Fisker stressed that “independent experts established that the incident was not caused by the Lithium-ion battery pack, new technology components, engine component packaging or unique exhaust routing of the Fisker Karma.”
“We are committed to responding swiftly and decisively to events such as this to ensure total customer satisfaction,” says Henrik Fisker. “This incident resulted from a single, faulty component, not our unique EVer powertrain or the engineering of the Karma. As this situation demonstrates, Fisker Automotive is dedicated to doing whatever is necessary to address safety and quality concerns.”
The company says that the recall campaign “is not expected to have a material financial impact on Fisker.” Given the politically-charged atmosphere surrounding the EV industry however, a certain amount of negative publicity would seem inevitable.
At least the owner of the car involved in the incident, Mr. Rudy Burger, isn’t complaining. “I have been incredibly impressed with the way Fisker has handled this incident. I have personally started seven technology companies and know from direct experience that the US needs more innovative companies of this type, especially in the automobile sector. I look forward to getting behind the wheel of my next Fisker.”
Image: Fisker
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