Fisker Karma Electric Car Spontaneously Combusts In California

A Fisker Karmer Luxury Hybrid Sports Car was parked safely on the side of the road in Woodside, California. Minutes later, the entire thing was engulfed in flames.

ABC reports that this is the second mysterious fire in one of its Karmer Hybrid vehicles this Summer. Fisker is currently investigating what caused the car to spontaneously combust.

Jalopnik reports that the owner of the car went into a store to get some groceries. When the owner came out they noticed smoke coming from the vehicle. The owner called 911 but before firefighters could arrive the vehicle was engulfed in flames.

The cause of the fire is not known but Jalopnik notes that over 200 Fisker Karmer vehicles were recalled last December for having a faulty hose that could have allowed coolant to leak onto the battery and start a fire. More vehicles were recalled in June.

Earlier this year a Fisker Karma hybrid started on fire in Sugar Land, Texas. The car was parked in a garage at the time and the fire caused severe damage to the house. Another Karma hybrid was taken out for a test drive by Consumer Reports but died in the middle of the test.

Here’s a video of the fire in Woodside, California.

The Fisker Karma is a government-financed project. In 2010, the Department of Energy gave Fisker a $529 million green-energy loan. Fisker had collected nearly $200 million up until this February, but after the car company failed to live up to government expectation, the cash flow was frozen.