Nothing Like A Recall to Shed Light on a Few Things -- Absolutely Nothing About the Bakken

Updates

February 7, 2012: Fisker continues to lay off more employees in the even as it seeks more government loans (bailout). The story was found in the India Times.

Original Post

Link here.

Fisker Automotive is recalling all 239 of its 2012 Karma luxury plug-in hybrid cars because of a fire hazard.

Prices on the 2012 model start at $103,000, including the destination charge.

In a report filed recently on the agency’s Web site, Fisker said some hose clamps were not properly positioned, which could allow a coolant leak. “If coolant enters the battery compartment an electrical short could possibly occur, causing a thermal event within the battery, including a possible fire in the worse case,” the company told the safety agency.

Other data points:

• This is the company in Finland to which the Obama adminstation loaned $529 million to develop $100,000 cars
• All 239 cars -- that's it -- $529 million for 239 cars; and they now cost $103,000
• But this is very, very interesting: "fewer than 50 vehicles are in the hands of consumers" -- which means the rest are with the company, the board of directors, insiders, etc. I doubt many are in show rooms -- and, if so, which show rooms

This sounds like a bunch of foreigners got a cool half-billion dollars to build themselves some personal luxury cars.

But, again, we are starting to see a common theme in coal-powered cars: coolant and batteries don't mix -- huge fire danger.

Again, without the Drudge Report, one wonders how much of this would really be reported by the mainstream media. It should be noted that the original link did not include that little tidbit about the half-billion-dollar loan from the Obama administration.

It was also interesting to note that The New York Times tried to dilute the irony of this story by peppering it with a half dozen other vehicular (and scooter) recalls. Italian scooter recalls? Give me a break.

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By the way, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to connect the dots regarding a half-billion-dollar loan to a foreign car company and a re-election campaign. See first comment below if you need a hint.

By the way, that link:
".... follows a $465 million government loan to Tesla Motors Inc., purveyors of a $109,000 British-built electric Roadster. Tesla is a California startup focusing on all-electric vehicles, with a number of celebrity endorsements that is backed by investors that have contributed to Democratic campaigns."



Yes, Sir, I Can Boogie, Baccara