28.8.2012 Second Fisker Karma EV catches fire

Green car company, Fisker Automotive, are recalling 2,400 Karma plug-in hybrids due to a faulty cooling fan unit being responsible for causing a vehicle fire in California last week.

This is the second time this year that a Fisker Karma has caught on fire, which is raising issues about the safety of Fisker's first plug-in model. However, now the source of the second fire has been confirmed, and Fisker does not expect the news to have a major financial impact.

The second fire took place just over a week ago, and since then Fisker has worked with fire experts from Pacific Rim Investigative Services Group, pinpointing the source of the fire as being at the front-left of the Karma, where the cooling fan is located. An internal fault caused the low-temperature cooling fan to overheat and ignite. Fisker is now recalling the vehicle with respect to the cooling unit.

The carmaker has contacted all Karma customers announcing the news. Owners will be offered new cooling fan units that meet all necessary specifications, while an additional fuse will be installed for further protection.

Since the birth of Fisker in 2007, there have been a few setbacks with their electric vehicle development – including being denied access to more than half of a $529 million US government loan as a result of delays to the Karma launch. However, Fisker has benefited from its styling and high-profile clientele, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Justin Bieber.

Fisker were keen to be able to announce that the fault was not in relation to the lithium-ion battery pack or other important aspects of the car's power-train.

"This incident resulted from a single, faulty component, not our unique EVer powertrain or the engineering of the Karma," said Henrik Fisker, the company's executive chairman and co-founder.