Cars catch fire in Sandy storm

[tig1]

Why would this happen?
http://updates.jalopnik.com/post/34669789863/more-than-a-dozen-fisker-karma-hybrids-caught-fire-and

 

[cmorr]

No expert but I would guess for the same reason you want to turn off power to your house if you suspect a flood (have read of a few recent house fires shortly after getting their power restored in flooded homes). Lots of energy in those batteries and the water being conductive will short them out

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Self-immolation?

 

[SLCraig]

Those cars seem to catch fire without the aid of being submerged as well, so its hard to say.

FWIW this was also posted in the Fisker can't catcha break thread in this forum.

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Why would this happen?
http://updates.jalopnik.com/post/34669789863/more-than-a-dozen-fisker-karma-hybrids-caught-fire-and


Maybe....because they were heavily insured? Seriously, they knew the storm was coming well in advance.

 

[djb]

Originally Posted By: Kruse

Maybe....because they were heavily insured? Seriously, they knew the storm was coming well in advance.


The insurance pay-out would be the cost of production, at most.
Press like this might destroy the company.

 

[TFB1]

Those things(electric/hybrid in general)use high voltage to operate the electric motors, saltwater is conductive, equals instant short...

 

[NateDN10]

Originally Posted By: djb
Originally Posted By: Kruse

Maybe....because they were heavily insured? Seriously, they knew the storm was coming well in advance.


The insurance pay-out would be the cost of production, at most.
Press like this might destroy the company.

But that still leaves the question - why weren't the cars removed? There was a week plus of notice.

 

[JHZR2]

Short circuit will cause Li-ion to heat up and can catch fire. Nothing new there. Saltwater is conductive, nothing new there either.

 

[Artem]

Why these expensive cars were left out in the open is beyond me.

At first i also though it might be for insurance purposes but the cars are at the port, awaiting to go to the dealership / customer pickup, why would they burn them?

Now that some of you explain that this could be from the saltwater, it all makes sense to me now.

Fisker needs to put saltwater warning on these cars, it's obvious!

 

[GMBoy]

No different from throwing a boombox radio or anything else electronic into a pool. Just bigger batteries making bigger a mess.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Artem
Why these expensive cars were left out in the open is beyond me.



I know. I can see that if you have a few hundred kias sitting there, it may not be cost effective nor space effective to get them out. But 16 high value luxury cars? Ill bet there were no MB S-class cars sitting out there...

 

[Michael_P]

Coming soon. GFCI circuitry for electric & hybrids.