Light My Fire: Gov’t Subsidized Automaker Recalls Hybrid Model Over Safety Concerns
- Posted on August 19, 2012 at 8:11pm by
Becket Adams
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Electric-car maker Fisker Automotive is recalling all of its $100,000 Karma sports sedans to fix cooling fans that can catch fire. The recall comes after Fisker and a private fire investigation firm finished probing an Aug. 10 fire in a Karma in Woodside, Calif.
It was the second of its kind.
The company said the probe found that the blaze started in front of the Karma’s left front wheel where a cooling fan is located. Wiring in the fan failed and it overheated, causing the slow-burning fire, Fisker said Saturday.
Fisker said in a statement that the fire had nothing to do with car’s lithium-ion battery or other “new technology” components:
The investigation located the ignition source to the left front of the Karma, forward of the wheel, where the low temperature cooling fan is located. The final conclusion was that this sealed component had an internal fault that caused it to fail, overheat and start a slow burning fire.
“This incident resulted from a single, faulty component,” Executive Chairman and co-founder Henrik Fisker said in the statement.
Financially speaking, the recall isn’t going to help Fisker, which has received $193 million of a $529 million federal loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy. Oh, and in case you weren’t aware, the company also has a midsize sedan, the Atlantic, in development, but that project has been on hold ever since the DOE suspended Fisker’s loan following the Karma battery trouble.
So, between the fan problem and the fact that the Karma had to be recalled earlier this summer because of coolant leak issues — and despite Fisker’s assurances that the fan recall is not expected to have a “material financial impact” — it looks like the government subsidized automaker is having some serious problems.
FILE - In this Nov. 18, 2010 file photo, Fisker Automotive's Fisker Karma, a sports luxury plug-in hybrid car, sits on display at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles. Fisker says Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012, it is recalling the Karma sedan to fix cooling fans that can catch fire. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
“[T]hings … are so bad that also last week Fisker announced its third CEO hire in the past year (when in a supremely ironic move it hired the former head of the Chevy Volt program Tony Posawatz),” Zero Hedge notes.
“Oh well: nothing that burning, quite literally, severeal [sic] hundred more million in taxpayer funding won’t solve,” the Hedge adds.
Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Comments (73)
ColoradoMaverick
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 7:07amWhat does this electric car and Obama have in common?
Report Post »They are both “going down in flames”. Bye-bye Obama – One Term Loser just like Carter.
bigben357mag
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 9:19amCompared to Carter, Obama makes Carter look good! Geez!
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 9:25amLandslide………that’s what I think will happen…….
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 9:28amWhat they’re really burning thru is tax dollars……….
Report Post »JRook
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 10:29amWow what do they think they are building a PINTO.
Report Post »BarryHusseinOsama
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 2:13pmAmen!
Report Post »turkey13
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 4:22pmAll they need to do is what Chevy did – make an app that notifys you as soon as your car cathes fire. Then you can go and celebrate the fact that you got hyped up and then was disappointed that you can add to the peoblem of all that black smoke coming from these Green cars – the smoke is black & deadly. Do not inhale if you are there when it catches fire..
Report Post »curmudgeon60
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:51amIn 2009 Elkhart IN received $2.4 Billion in Gov. grants to start the Norwegian Company “THINK GLOBAL” electric cars, it was just announced they have gone “belly up”.
Report Post »Master.Debater
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:16amMove along… Nothing to see here.
Report Post »Honestybefore truth
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:08amOur tax money hard at work…
Report Post »“This incident resulted from a single, faulty component,” Executive Chairman and co-founder Henrik Fisker said in the statement.
I wonder if that “component” was made in china, or almost as likely a unionized shop.
poweruser19
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:17amMost of you on here bashing electric vehicles must not know your history, the electric vehicle was one of the first horseless carriges and it at the time was only held back by the cost of the batteries.
Report Post »Gasoline engines didn’t make it on the scene until oil was selling for pennies in comparison.
Electric cars are not profitable to the government like massively in-efficient gas motors.
We have all been duped for a hundred years into buying a gas motor instead of a electric.
The government could have easily started taxing lead if there wasn’t as much oil flooding the market at the time.The nations power grid wasn’t very capable at the time either(has not got much better).
These are mostly the reasons why we are not driving electric cars right now instead of gas.
If you really want to complain about something then complain about why our car manufactures fire the fuel injectors on the exhaust stroke, and then complain about emissions.(makes the car warm up very quickly for heat in the vehicle) cuts your fuel mileage in half instantly.
Lone Ranger
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:39amWhat I am complaining about is the government wasting billions on technologies that are not ready for prime time. It isn’t only electric cars, but wind power and other “green” energy, while we sit on more oil reserves than all of the Middle East that the government won’t let us exploit.
Here’s an idea, why doesn’t Obama just sink our tax dollars into warp engine development? Then we could just park a star ship in orbit and beam all the power we need to earth.
Report Post »Inlandmar2
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 8:40amFace it, Poweruser19! Electric cars don‘t make sense with today’s technology. Electric power vehicles have been used extensively since being invented way back when. Some examples are: golf carts, industrial vehicles, etc. The only problem is that electric vehicles have limited endurance and take an excessive amount of time to recharge. Until these deficiencies are solved, no amount of touting or promoting electrical cars(like the Volt) will make them acceptable to any one wanting to travel more than a few miles.
Report Post »ECtech
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 9:04pm“If you really want to complain about something then complain about why our car manufactures fire the fuel injectors on the exhaust stroke, and then complain about emissions.(makes the car warm up very quickly for heat in the vehicle) cuts your fuel mileage in half instantly.”
It has nothing to do with warming up the car faster. It’s done to reduce the amount of ignition components. Less parts = less parts that can fail.
Also, it does NOT cut your mileage in half. You make it sound like firing the two spark plugs at the same time results in the engine fighting itself — that is not the case.
Report Post »Lone Ranger
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 4:41ami guess anyone who can afford to drive a $116,000 car that is prone to burst into flames, can also afford the insurance. Karma, the car of choice for well-heeled suicide bombers.
Report Post »politicaljules
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 3:29amIs it a bad thing when your Karma is on fire?
Report Post »politicaljules
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 3:28amBad Karma on fire
Report Post »OuttheSocialist
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 2:33amWhat a joke. Electric cars are a pipe dream. Manufacturers have been rushed into their production before the technology has been perfected. These kind of cars are very susceptible to fires are an extreme danger to anyone who owns one. All of these companies will be out of business in the next two to three years and the taxpayers will be the big losers.
Report Post »Bobj_1960
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 3:30amUmmm, Tesla Motors has been around 10 years and is very successful with their all electric car. They even did it without government help.
Report Post »LIBERTARIAN T38
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 12:24amDefine very successful…the green industry is 99% corruption…for example, every windmill you see is a symbol of government corruption and waste…do you know how long it takes for a windmill to pay off after government subsidies? Over 100 years. Assuming they last that long, which they won’t. And most use more electricity than they produce…
Report Post »Leadthemtothelight
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 11:39pmAnyone still believe in natural selection?
Report Post »Constructionist
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 2:11amI used to… but Biden proved the paradigm to be false
Report Post »Zipit
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 7:26amBiden, Fiskar, Delaware!!! Not natural selection, it’s “KARMA”.
Report Post »stuharnden
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 11:01pm@wvernon1981,
Report Post »From Harvard? Boy you are right Breathe in pepper and it makes you sneeze.1 Dope + 1 Dope = too many. Coal is horrendously dirty? So is Larry Flint
scrudge
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 8:16amget your head out of your backside
Report Post »woodyee
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 10:54pmSo GAYBAMA is subsidizing an automaker for the Hollywood Elite?
I wonder what his ass-gasket Richard Trumpka thinks about that?
No I don’t!
Report Post »Exrepublisheep
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 11:37pmCongress established the $25 billion alternative vehicle loan program during former President George Bush’s administration in 2007 to provide incentives for automakers to invest in green technology. The DOE has awarded $8 billion to Ford and Nissan. The low-cost loans will carry a discounted interest rate of about 5 percent. Automakers have up to 25 years to repay the money. Obama you say?
Report Post »woodyee
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 12:05amNo, I said Gaybama, but your point is well taken.
Report Post »Chutz30
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 1:52amExrepublisheep Are you talking about the (ATVM) ?
Report Post »OneWithGodistheMajority
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 3:35amThe ONLY reason money is given to these ‘green’ projects (republicans/conservatives)
Report Post »is because of the huge pressure and crying from the left that does not think of the consequences. It is always a form of appeasement from the conservative side and a form of destruction and lunacy from the left/dems..
JUSTANOTHEROPINION
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 9:34pmIf this company were to have to get a conventonal loan from a bank (even in the best of economies) with their history they couldn’t. They would be laughed out of the bank. But, I guess the “Bank of Obama” is a different kind of bank.
Report Post »QuincySmith
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 12:41am“I guess the “Bank of Obama” is a different kind of bank.” ~~~ The offer HOPE.
Report Post »Dougral Supports Israel
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 9:27pmThe next time I hear an Obama supporter criticize Romney‘s wealth I’m going to sk them “Why is Obama subsidizing a $100,000 electric toy for the rich”? Only a small percentage of Americans could afford the car and only a minuscule percentage of them will actually buy one.
Report Post »pissantno.10
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 9:22pmthese actors singers all have know clue as to whats going on with there money. they have people taking care of there money. they just think there are being good liberals
Report Post »Magyar
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 9:30pmI‘m guessing English isn’t your first language. If I’m wrong, however, have someone edit BEFORE you post….
Who can understand what you write?
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 9:18pmSo once again we see made self evident the capitalist cronism of Obama and his administration; the cars of all kinds, hybrids, made by government support are going, going, gone up in flames and into the hands of GE and the administrations departments.
Typical.
Report Post »Wyerd_001
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 11:11pmOh, i get it, when Obama said, “you didn’t build [this]“, he meant all the government subsidized companies that can’t keep their head above water…..you are right Mr Obama….Solarus: you built that Mr president, Fisker: you built that Mr president, Volt….where would we be without this finacial genicide…oops, i mean genius
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 9:18pmI would like to recall this entire government over SAFETY CONCERNS.
Report Post »Sirfoldallot
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 9:21pmU win the best post today , lol.
Report Post »ECtech
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 9:04pmA class that Barry and many of his sycophant followers either NEVER took or didn’t pass:
Science.
Energy derived from gasoline is more efficient than energy produced from batteries. Gasoline has higher ‘energy density’.
The only reason we have hybrids that get (slightly) better gas mileage than gasoline vehicles is because of very careful trade-offs in their design. You could actually improve a hybrid car’s mileage by removing the batteries (and associated systems) and putting a smaller (than average) gasoline engine inside. Using a Prius as an example, you’d probably have better (or at least) equal acceleration.
Until the day that you can fly a commercial airliner using wind or solar power; so called “green” energy is not viable as a replacement for petroleum products.
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 9:16pmLOL, that reminded me of an article I read many, many years ago. Around the time of the Wright Brothers somebody in Europe decided to try to drive a propeller aircraft with a large clock spring. Just did not take into account that the act of rewinding stopped the propeller shaft. I guess that was a very early Green failure.
Report Post »wvernon1981
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 10:36pmThe energy density of gasoline is higher than the energy density of the best current batteries. However, the energy discharged from a battery is currently cheaper than the energy we use to derive useful work from a combustion engine.
Report Post »RightThinking1
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 11:18pmwvernon1981,
Report Post »“the energy discharged from a battery is currently cheaper than the energy we use to derive useful work from a combustion engine.”
That is a convoluted and inaccurate statement. First of all, a battery has no ‘energy density’ at all, unless you burn it. In the context of heat energy derived from combustion, all fuels (coal, combustible gases, gasoline & etc.) do have an energy density. A battery is simply a storage device, exactly analogous to a gasoline tank.
The aspects of hybrid automobiles that make them more economical to operate (emphasis on ‘operate’), is the ability to recapture braking losses, engine shut-off when not being used for charging, and operating the engine at fixed optimum load.
Plug-ins are not so very different. The lower operational costs in that case are a consequence of very efficient plants producing electricity. I note that unless you live within 80 miles or so of a ‘clean’ electrical source, i.e. Nuclear or Hydro, then a plug-in (effectively running on coal) will be dirtier than a conventional hybrid.
wvernon1981
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 11:58pmI’ll rephrase it because the wording was somewhat clumsy. The energy used to move an electric vehicle is far cheaper than the energy used to move a vehicle equipped with a combustion engine.
Report Post »poweruser19
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 4:51amECTECH
Report Post »You may be right about energy density, but that is about all that is true about what you said.
The gasoline engine is only about 3% efficient and will never be able to contend with a electric motor in torque for the same h.p. rating. the acceleration is always dependent on the batteries and the controller size(I.E. current output) If our country would stop wasting gas on heat production for our gas cars we could get much better efficiency out of the motors.(government loves gas taxes) then you still may never see 10% because we still have to run them through a gearbox. Instead of bashing on electric cars why don’t you bash on our government for cheating you out of a more efficient gas engine. there are higher efficient motors designed out there, they will just not allow them into production.(M.Y.T. motor for one example) you can look this one up on Google or YouTube.
Batteries are very good also but they want you to have to charge more often so it will cost you more in electric. they have the technology to make batteries go as far as you want them to(its just not profitable). So instead of spouting off opinion try to put some facts into your post……..
RightThinking1
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 12:30pmwvernon1981:
Report Post »” The energy used to move an electric vehicle is far cheaper than the energy used to move a vehicle equipped with a combustion engine.”
Since hybrids are powered by IC engines and conventional fuels, I assume you refer to ‘plug-ins’. I see that elsewhere you have condemned coal as a power source. Putting aside the unsuitability of a plug-in (due to range limitation, hauling capacity,cost, etc) for much of the population’s needs, there is the question of the cost of operation. The operation cost is low only if the energy cost is low. If coal is eliminated as source, what is the alternative? It is true that the recent development of natural gas sources has led to cleaner plants and lowered energy costs, but it is worth pointing out that the development of those sources have been largely opposed by the same folk who tout plug-ins.
That leaves (for most of the country) the alternatives of wind/solar. The cost in both cases is roughly four times the cost of conventional generation, and in spite of what some folk like to think, the economies of scale have been reached and further scale cost reductions will be minimal. A more important fact is that neither solar nor wind can replace conventional sources. The wind fails to blow, the sun goes down. It will always be, for the foreseeable future, necessary to have available near 100% capacity via conventional sources. Plug-ins = not ready for prime time, not even close.
ECtech
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:03pm@POWERUSER19
Where do you get your figures from? A typical gasoline (car) engine is around 30% efficient. Yes, the remaining is lost as heat; although that is useful if you live where it snows (I do).
“…will never be able to contend with a electric motor in torque for the same h.p. rating.”
Thank you for pointing out ONE of the many problems with hybrid/electric vehicles. 746 watts of electricity is equal to ONE horsepower. This means that hybrid/electric vehicles need about 15 to 20 KILOWATTS of stored electricity (enough HP) to drive the electric motors to produce that high torque.
The problem is, batteries are nowhere near storing enough energy to be a viable solution. You are aware that older diesel VW Rabbits were able to achieve 45+ MPG right? You are also forgetting that hybrid mileage drops significantly when accessories are used (wipers, heater, radio & headlights).
I took a look at this “MYT” motor and I can tell you right now that it’s snake oil. Despite quite a bit of searching, the only videos I could find showing the motor “in action” were ones where it was being powered by compressed air. Now, why do YOU think that is? In addition to that I don’t buy into the ridiculous specifications touted by the inventor. IF the thing ran without being powered by an external source AND was as great as it supposedly is — there would be video evidence of it.
Report Post »Quagaar Warrior
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 8:42pm~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Report Post »Give one of those to Maj. Nidal Hasan as a getaway car. That would be one way to remove his beard!
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yougottabekidding
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 8:47pmDon’t give him rank! That is a show of respect!
Report Post »Quagaar Warrior
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 9:00pm~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Report Post »YOUGOTTABEKIDDING,
My apologies! You’re right!
That would explain why we haven’t had a president for the last 3-1/2 years. Obama has never earned the respect of that title.
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RJJinGadsden
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 8:34pmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUm15jxuMvM
Report Post »SCREW-WINDOWS
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 8:33pmAnd how many other cooling fans have failed and not caused a fire but you can definitly pinpoint it to the fan.
Report Post »starman70
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 8:52pmTAX MONEY GOING UP IN SMOKE!!!!!
rqd. lc
Report Post »Sirfoldallot
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 8:31pmGet a V-8 big block truck silly, 4×4 is the **** . Have fun & tell Obama 2 open up the fed lands 4 oil.
Report Post »oriondma05
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 8:22pmI just hope Leonardo DiCaprio and Justin Bieber get theirs fixed in time,
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 8:45pmin time would be after they fail right ??
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 8:18pmThe HORSE was the PERFECT Green Machine… and the Mutants want us to return to the Past!
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 8:18pmNobody wants to drive what is essentially a battery with four wheels,they‘re dangerous aren’t practical and they suck. Who would want a so called ‘electric’ car anyway? since Barry wants electric rates to skyrocket. Exploit the 1 trillion barrels of shale oil we have here and watch the price of oil drop.
Green energy is a BS lie and will never work,look at your flaming Fiskers and listen to the irrational warmer cultists as proof.
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 8:40pmThey also present plenty of new hazards to first responders when involved in traffic accidents. A danger for the drive and any occupants in accidents too. Also the ecological hazards at accidents. Much like a rolling Curly Fluorescent Light Bulbs!
Report Post »yougottabekidding
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 8:45pmFrom Newsmax
The United Mine Workers of America enthusiastically supported Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008, but this year the union and its disgruntled members don’t plan to back Obama’s re-election bid.
“As of right now, we’ve elected to stay out of this election,” said Mike Caputo, a vice president on the UMWA’s International Executive Board and a Democratic member of the West Virginia House of Delegates.
“Our members right now have indicated to stay out of this race, and that’s why we’ve done that.”
Caputo told National Journal he couldn’t remember a time when the UMWA — with more than 100,000 members in 2008, the last year the union updated its numbers — did not endorse a presidential candidate.
Obama’s GOP opponent Mitt Romney has been claiming that Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency is waging war on coal with too many regulations.
“Our members count on coal-fired power plants and burning of coal to keep jobs,” Caputo said. “We’re a very Democratic union and we try to listen to the rank and file. They’ve sent a clear message that they’re not supportive of the environmental rules that are being put in place.”
Welcome to Obama land Unions
Report Post »All we need is for the construction unions to wake up = Keystone pipeline, Bridge construction (Chinese)
wvernon1981
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 10:39pmThere should be a war on coal as it ends up costing the US between 300 and 500 billion dollars a year in externalities according to a Harvard Medical School study. Coal is horrendously dirty.
Report Post »