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More than 300 Karma plug-in hybrids fell victim to super storm Sandy, Fisker spokesman Roger Ormisher told Reuters. The cars sat in a storage lot in Port Newark, New Jersey, which was inundated by Sandy. Among the lost Karmas are 16 that went up in flames. One car caught fire when seawater caused a short circuit. Winds spread the fire to 15 other cars.
The cars were insured, and Fisker expects “no impact from a business or a financial point of view,” Ormisher said.
More than 10,000 vehicles were damaged during the storm at Port Newark. Toyota lost 4,500 cars at the port.
15 Comments on “Fisker Sells 300 Karmas – To The Insurance Company...”
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Electric cars are so dangerous. Gas cars do not burst in flames when exposed to water.
Well, to be fair, this was an extreme case where the cars were submerged in sea water, which was a critical element. It is true that gas engines wouldn’t burst into flames in similar conditions, but overall, I think that the key issue safety-wise is that first and foremost the car was SUBMERGED in water. Passengers stand an equal chance of survival regardless of the power plant.
The only difference then, is if the passengers are not able to escape, their corpses would be burned to a crisp instead of waterlogged.
Of course, this is totally separate from the instances where the Karmas were found to spontaneously combust for no apparent reason whatsoever.
So there won’t be any hybrid amphicars?
Well if they develop them then they’d also have to develop the hitherto unfathomable fire-retardant wetsuit. Who would have thought.
Yeah, just be glad that Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry haven’t taken delivery of theirs yet.
Who talked them into getting Fiskers? I thought they wouldn’t get fooled again.
Let’s not forget the 65 or so other “normal” internal combustion engine vehicles that also caught fire at this holding facility.
Or the images of the rows upon rows of burned out Nissans and Infinitis after the tsunami last year.
Sea water + any sort powered electrical system = bad
If I were a Karma owner I’d look into getting one of the unburned salvage cars as a parts car.
Would also be a cool basis for a hot rod or race car, stick an LS3 under the hood etc…
I was able to see one of these up-close at a car show in the Chicago suburbs. Was really impressed with the materials, design, fit and finish, etc. Just great execution in every area (except for that nagging fire “thing”). . . . .
I have seen one up close at a car show, and two on the roads. The one at the car show was the most amazing bronze metallic color that I’ve ever seen. The paint had a shimmer to it which was stunning.
A new way to make money for automakers.
shame, those are sexy looking cars
Dan Neil called the Fisker Karma “the world’s most interesting car”. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204795304577223211286146068.html
“I don’t always review cars but when I do they are electrics that go into “brick mode” at the first sign of trouble.”