Fisker: Overheating Cooling Fan Resposible For Fire

by Bertel Schmitt

Published: August 19th, 2012

Fisker concluded its investigation into the fire that consumed one of their Karmas in Woodside, CA. According to a Fisker statement, neither the Lithium-ion battery pack, nor “new technology components, engine component packaging or unique exhaust routing of the Fisker Karma” were responsible for the conflagration. Rather, it was a lowly cooling fan, that, well, overheated. In the guessing game for the fire’s cause, TTAC’s independent accident investigator Ronnie Schreiber came closest when he suspected a low voltage unit.

A recall of approximately 2,400 Fisker Karma has been initiated.

Fisker statement follows in full length:

“Fisker has completed a detailed investigation into the roadside fire involving a Fisker Karma sedan on August 10 in Woodside, CA.

The investigation conducted by Fisker engineers, working with an independent fire expert from Pacific Rim Investigative Services Group, has identified the root cause of the incident.

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.

Fisker has today voluntarily elected to conduct a recall with respect to this cooling fan unit. The company is working with the responsible supplier and this recall campaign is not expected to have a material financial impact on Fisker.

Fisker has already contacted its retailer network. Customers are expected to be contacted by retailers, ahead of their receiving formal notice from the company by mail, to have the cooling fan replaced with a unit that meets the required specifications. At the same time an additional fuse will be installed for added protection.

In their investigation, 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 Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, 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 owner of the car involved in the Woodside incident, Mr. Rudy Burger commented:

“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.

“Fisker is a great company and one that I am personally planning to invest in. I look forward to getting behind the wheel of my next Fisker.”

#BertelSchmitt #Fire #Fisker #Karma

Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

More by Bertel Schmitt

Comments

Join the conversation

11 of 23 comments

Bigtruckseriesreview @ Youtube on Aug 19, 2012

I was having an argument over how "inefficient and uneconomical" I felt the Tesla Model S was and I trolled someone by saying "these cars burst into flames" It's easy to see why after having borrowed a Karma to make a video/review about it. I DO NOT TRUST a car that has to turn itself on (keep itself on) to cool itself down. I knew as soon as I heard about this story that either the battery itself exploded, or something necessary for the battery did - meanwhile, everyone wanted to blame the gasoline engine. FACE IT: with the exception of poorly connected or haphazardly connected I.C. engines, regular I.C.E cars do not simply immolate anymore. quality control is much, much higher across the board than it used to be. Electric cars are all inherently problematic because they blend two different problems: unreliable batteries and unreliable computer systems that must monitor those unreliable batteries 24/7. A single computer failure means the difference between a car breaking down on the road and a car exploding. I also don't like traditional systems in I.C.E cars being replaced that have to do with mechanics. Push button starters, transmissions like the one in the A8 and Chrysler 300, and drive by wire throttles. They can keep em!

Like Reply
- See 8 previous
- George Herbert on Aug 19, 2012
  
  "I DO NOT TRUST a car that has to turn itself on (keep itself on) to cool itself down. I knew as soon as I heard about this story that either the battery itself exploded, or something necessary for the battery did – meanwhile, everyone wanted to blame the gasoline engine." -- I don't recall owning a car that wouldn't run an electric cooling fan after I got out and removed the key, it it was hot enough. My parents did, but all the ones with electric cooling fans I've had did some variation on that. Unless you disconnect the battery, modern cars are "on", even if the ignition is off. So are your TV at home, computers, etc. If this makes you uncomfortable...
  
  Like
- Bigtruckseriesreview @ Youtube on Aug 19, 2012
  
  @George Herbert With the exception of my S550, I've never had a car that had to cool itself down when the key was removed. The push button start cars sometimes do it, but the older cars I've driven/owned/rented, NEVER did. The only system I've noticed which could usually activate when the car was off was an air suspension.
  
  Like
- Feds on Aug 19, 2012
  
  Re: your FACE IT section. Whatever you do, do not google "Lamborghini fire", else your misconceptions will implode with such force that the resulting pressure wave may level most of Manhattan. Your computer system point is equally true for any new ICE car on sale today. Why do we all pile on Fisker for making a fragile, high tech exotic, but give the traditional makers of fragile, high tech exotics a free pass on this stuff? Where's the disgruntled italian engineer complaining about exhaust routing on Lambos and Ferraris, or the UAW worker telling all about how his idea to move the cruise control solenoids to the "hot in run" circuit was passed over despite him repeatedly putting it in the suggestion box? For a group tagged as "The best and the brightest", we're certainly coming across as a collection of Neophobes.
  
  Like
- Feds on Aug 19, 2012
  
  @George Herbert http://www.bugmanweb.com/c6/battery.html "Face it, if you've got a Corvette, you will have a dead battery. Like bikers and crashes, it's not a question of "if" , but of "when". The problem is so well known that it has it's own name in the Corvette world : DBS [Dead Battery Syndrome]. I went about 1½ years before my first episode of DBS. When it happens to you, you'll go through the same thing as thousands before you - "
  
  Like
- Ronnie Schreiber on Aug 19, 2012
  
  Simply put, you're wrong. Plenty of conventional cars burn, hundreds of thousands every year. About 800 burn all by themselves (most car fires are the result of accidents). Fire hazards are one of the leading reasons for safety recalls. As for cars that "run" after they're off. For at least a decade cooling fans have run after the cars have been shut off. Add in all the automatic features, like headlamps that shut themselves off, plus security and smart-key features and there are plenty of electrical circuits that are still active with the key in the OFF position. Nowadays very few electronic devices use power switches. Your computer, if it's less than a decade old, certainly doesn't. Hell, I had a power supply in a PC fail overnight when the computer was "off". You keep perpetuating the idea that the fire must have had something to do with the battery cooling system. What proof do you have that it was the battery cooling system and not the cooling fan that cools the radiator and turbo intercooler?
  
  Like
- Bigtruckseriesreview @ Youtube on Aug 19, 2012
  
  @Ronnie Schreiber What proof do you have it was the radiator/ cooling fac instead of the battery cooling fan??? Because "fisker" told you?
  
  Like
- Pch101 on Aug 19, 2012
  
  @Ronnie Schreiber "What proof do you have it was the radiator/ cooling fac instead of the battery cooling fan???" It's as if you're just impossible to educate. Let's try this again: -The fire started at the FRONT of the car -The battery is located in the MIDDLE of the car You do realize that there is some distance between the front and the middle of the car, don't you?
  
  Like
- Bigtruckseriesreview @ Youtube on Aug 19, 2012
  
  @Ronnie Schreiber No point in arguing anymore over it. The only thing that matters at the end of the day is who writes out a check to _____ . This thing is gonna fail and there will be NO MORE BAILOUTS.
  
  Like
- Pch101 on Aug 19, 2012
  
  @Ronnie Schreiber If there's no point in arguing, then why do you keep making the same factually deficient arguments?
  
  Like
BrentNelson on Aug 20, 2012

I think company have to take care all securities when they designing the model. Everyone gives 1st preference to safety while purchasing the car or bike. Fisker have to give replacement for that faulty cooling fan..

Like Reply