Published November 1, 2012
By Jeff Cobb
Fisker Automotive experienced a loss in New Jersey when Hurricane Sandy induced 16 Karmas waiting in port to catch fire, but the company has kept its chin up, and is countering bad news with good deeds a few hours south for disaster relief workers at its Wilmington, Del. factory.
Its facility is not producing cars, is slated to produce the Atlantic in a couple years from now, but it was an ideal spot to offer as a hub for 350 relief workers serving about a half-million people in the Delmarva region.
Nearly 300 utility and tree-trimming trucks are parked at Fisker’s 40-acre lot, and have been since Monday.
“As part of the Delaware community we will always do whatever we can to help our neighbors. Our thoughts go out to the people affected by the hurricane,” said Henrik Fisker, the company’s co-founder and executive chairman. "The 3.2-million-square-foot facility withstood the storm relatively unscathed. With its expansive parking lots it is one of the best places in the area to stage an emergency response team.”
Fisker’s contribution is part of an agreement it has had with Delmarva Power to be a responsible corporate citizen in the event a disaster hit, and to be sure, “Superstorm Sandy” qualified for that duty call.
“When a storm of this magnitude hits the region, it takes a community response to work together for the best possible outcome,” said Bridget Shelton, Delmarva Power spokesperson. “We’re grateful to Fisker for its role in that much-needed community response,”
Workers now at Fisker's location have shown up from nearby and relatively afar off, with tree crews in from neighboring Pennsylvania, and utility workers helping to restore power up from Florida Power & Light.
As for the parked Karmas which burned in New Jersey on Monday, they were incinerated, and while the investigation continues, it was initially stated salt water likely flooded in and induced short circuits.
“We can report that there were no injuries and none of the cars were being charged at the time,” said Fisker in a statement. “We have confidence in the Fisker Karma and safety is our primary concern. While we intend to find the cause as quickly as possible, storm damage has restricted access to the port.
"We will issue a further statement once the root cause has been determined.”
