Fisker hails good Karma repairs after battery fire fears

Fisker Automotive says it has fixed "a majority" of its 2012 Karma plug-in hybrid sports cars, just two weeks after the company that makes its battery packs identified a potential fire hazard.

All 239 of the models manufactured to date were recalled when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned improperly installed hose clamps in the car's battery pack could cause coolant to leak and result in electrical shorts.

While Fisker insists no incidents have been reported by customers or retailers, a company statement issued yesterday said many cars are back in service after having brand new battery packs fitted or repairs carried out to the hose clamp assembly.

Remaining customers have been contacted for appointments to fix the $103,000 cars, it added.

"We decided that the immediate replacement of the battery pack in every vehicle was the right approach for all our customers," said Henrik Fisker, chief executive of the company.

"We identified the appropriate fix, made our retailers aware of the situation and began contacting all our customers within 48 hours and were well advanced with the recall ourselves before the official posting on the NHSTA web site."

The NHSTA is also investigating fires in Chevrolet Volt batteries that may have been started by coolant leaks.

The concerns over possible fire risks comes as the US green car sector prepares to tackle a new Congressional bill that would remove the $7,500 tax credit for motorists and companies purchasing electric cars.

Republican Mike Kelly, who used to sell Chevys at his father's dealership, introduced the proposed legislation to the House of Representatives on Friday in response to low sales figures for electric cars, claiming the Obama administration was misusing public money.

In an article for USA Today published last month, Kelly said that selling hundreds of Volts a month compared to the thousands of sales for other models showed a "lack of mainstream market demand" for electric cars.

He also claimed the $7,500 tax credit is "largely going to the affluent few who can actually afford to buy an electric car".

Last month, Kelly also wrote to GM, the owners of Chevrolet, to demand more information about the safety of the Volt and question why GM did not disclose the potential fire risk back in May when it was first identified.