While most automakers aren’t shy to let it be known that they want to sell more cars (profitably of course) above all else, when it comes to finding flaws that require fixes, it turns out being a low-volume automaker isn’t such a bad thing.
Just ask electric vehicle-start up Fisker, who recently realized that 50 of their new Karma sedans had hose clamps that could potentially lead to a battery coolant leak. Luckily, Bloomberg reports that A123 Systems Inc., the supplier for Fisker, has already confirmed that the problem was limited to 50 vehicles and a fix was already on the way.
“We have developed a confirmed repair for this situation,†said David Vieau, CEO of the battery supplier. furthermore, the supplier believes the fix will carry a “minimal financial impact†and in the end the potential problem will likely carry little or no consequence.
This isn’t the only bad news to involve A123 Systems and the Fisker Karma lately, as Leftlane reported in late November that the company was forced to lay off 125 workers due to diminished demand for batteries used in the Fisker Karma. The workforce had been assembled based on demand for battery packs to power 7,000 vehicles, a number later cut to just 1,500 by Fisker.
To date, just 225 Fisker Karma sedans have been shipped to dealers across the U.S., with another 1,200 or so on the way. Fisker expects to produce 25 vehicles a day for now, with the possibility of increasing production to as many as 60 per day in 2012.
References
1.’A123 says…’ view
