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Former Secretary of State Colin Powell was the third person to get a Fisker Karma luxury hybrid (behind Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Gore), but he has the honor of being the first person we've seen to park it like an asshat. Congrats! More »
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When Fisker Automotive won heaps of praise from Vice President Joe Biden and a $529 million loan from the U.S. government, officials touted the Karma luxury sedan as getting up to 100 miles a gallon, going 50 miles on a full battery charge and offering "supercar" performance. None of those targets were met — but Fisker's moving ahead, your tax dollars in hand. More »
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After years of delay, Fisker Auto has cleared one final hurdle with the achievement of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions approval, and the first cash for a Fisker Karma has traded hands. How much gas those wealthy Karma buyers will save is still a mystery, but not for much longer. UPDATE Mystery over. More »
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To hear Fisker tell it at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the world is clamoring for not just its Karma range-extended electric vehicle but this new variant: a four-door wagon dubbed Surf that it plans to sell in 2013. But why hasn't it actually delivered a car yet? More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5839671&view=rss&microfeed=true While Fisker's still ramping up production on the Karma plug-in hybrid, a new federal report reveals the government's estimate of the Karma's fuel economy: 82 miles per gallon. Also, that $25 billion in loans for fuel sippers? Not likely. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5787347&view=rss&microfeed=true The $95,900 Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid set to launch last year, then this April, now won't roll into U.S. customers' driveways until June, and then only for "VIPs." Lesser Fisker owners will get theirs after July. More »
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Electric car maker Fisker Automotive says it expects to sell "at least 7,000 units" of its first car, the $87,900 Karma hybrid sports car, before the end of the year. More »
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After saying the $95,000 Fisker Karma luxury plug-in hybrid would launch in February, Fisker has pushed production back to March, and dealers say don't expect a car before April. Oh, and it's key tech supplier missed a debt payment. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5739811&view=rss&microfeed=true Pricing on the Fisker Karma electric car's been upped again. Now the base model will run $95,900 to start, $100K-plus well-optioned. [GreenCarReports] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5716958&view=rss&microfeed=true The configurator for the gorgeous all-electric but still-apparently-not-ready-for-prime-time Fisker Karma is now ready for you to play with. [Fisker] More »
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Fisker, the plug-in hybrid startup that's won $828.7 million in government and private backing but delayed production of its Karma plug-in three times, has managed to assemble the first Karma commercial. If it's on video, it must be real, right? More »
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Amid rumors of a mid-engined C7 Corvette, comes this photo of an extended wheelbase Corvette with modified bodywork and a lot of space behind the front seats. Is this a mid-engined next generation 'Vette mule or a freak one-off? UPDATE! More »
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Here's the "advanced aluminum space frame" guts of the Fisker Karma the company will be showing off at Geneva. Why? With a start-up automaker you have to show the insides to get anyone to believe it's real. More »
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Quantum, better known as the engineering half of the Fisker Karma, is going commando with the Clandestine Extended Range Vehicle (CREV) diesel electric hybrid. It's quiet. Deadly quiet. More »
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Alongside Vice President Joe Biden, Fisker Automotive executives announced today they'll buy GM's now shuttered Wilmington, Delaware assembly plant to develop "Project NINA," an "affordable, family-oriented plug-in hybrid sedan." So, basically, GM's selling Fisker a factory to develop a Volt-killer. More »
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The DoE just gave Fisker a $528 million loan, part of which will bring the Fisker Karma to market in 2010, while most will go to Project NINA, a $39,900 (after tax credits) plug-in hybrid. [Fisker] More »
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67.2MPG. That's the fuel economy figure Fisker calculated for the Fisker Karma using SAE standard estimations. If true, it puts the plug-in, mustachioed hybrid ahead of the current champ, the 2010 Toyota Prius at 50MPG. We'll see. Press release below. More »
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The Fisker Karma debuted its production-intent mustachioed shape at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, but now the fully running prototype will take a spin at the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races on August 15. More »
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The debate over whether Fisker's $80,000 Karma plug-in hybrid sports sedan will come to market may rage on, but they've now found their first dealer willing to support the dream. More »
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Though the Fisker Karma S Sunset doesn't officially debut for a few days, AutoSpies lived up to their name, sneaking onto the Detroit Auto Show floor early, snapping photos of the display. More »
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Fisker teased us earlier this week with a detail shot of the Karma S Sunset Concept, but we decided to uncover the droptop a little early thanks to KORSdesign. More »
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Fisker will be unveiling a new concept at the Detroit Auto Show, the romantically named Sunset. What is it? More »
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Following yesterday's hind end reveal of the Fisker Karma Tesla-killer, today we get a low-resolution peek at its nose ahead of an official reveal at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Again we see the production-intent car mimics the concept car almost identically, though the grille is revised nicely for a much sleeker look. But what of the details of this unique luxury automobile? More »
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If we take out our crystal ball and look forward two months, the big three will have their precious loans in hand, Barack Obama will have solved global warming and given everyone a puppy that craps rainbows, and the 2009 Fisker Karma will be fighting the 2010 Toyota Prius and the 2010 Honda Insight for bragging rights as press darlings of the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. More »
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According to Fisker Automotive, the company has emerged the victor in a lawsuit that pitted the niche hybrid automaker against Tesla Motors, the niche electric car automaker. The original lawsuit, brought by Tesla, alleged that Henrik Fisker stole designs for the Tesla Model S for his Fisker Karma Hybrid. Fisker claimed this was false and, using a clause in his contract with Tesla, sought arbitration. The arbitrator agreed with Fisker, essentially piling on more bad news for Tesla, which has had to cut staff, close an office and panhandle from investors. Fisker's statement below the jump. More »
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After "spy photos" of the Fisker Karma were handed out cataloging its "testing" earlier this summer, it seems Fisker Automotive has managed to secure $65 million in funding towards production of its mega-hyped super-hybrid saloon. Not only has Fisker gotten a hot moolah injection, but venture capital mega-house Kleiner Perkins, among others, has tossed some dough behind the effort. According to Automotive News the Karma also gets a name for it's hybrid drive — the Q-drive, based on tech from Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide; not at all from Tesla, who is suing the pants off of Fisker for infringement. Fisker says the first Karma will be ready for production by the end of 2009, and we say we'll eat the hat of your choosing should that come to pass. More »
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While people who drive out of necessity are understandably upset about high gas prices, the real enthusiast driver recognizes the positives. Artificially low fuel prices have subsidized an American automotive lifestyle out-of-sync with the needs and desires of serious drivers. And although we're not happy to be forking over the dimes for premium fuel, we've got five reasons the enthusiast is happy the era of cheap gas is over. More »
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Valmet Automotive, based in Finland, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Fisker Automotive to build the Fisker Karma. With this announcement, we also get further details surrounding the hybrid luxury sports car: According to Valmet CEO, Ilpo Korhonen, the Karma, which we have seen testing before, will be capable of traveling 50 MPH before the engine kicks in to charge the batteries. It has a maximum all-electric range of 62 miles, and the starting price tag for the US may be bumped up an extra five grand to $85,000. More »
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Despite the sexual connotations of the name "Vibering," it's actually a concept in design that's purpose is not to please the nether regions. In actuality, the ring's designed with the blind and/or deaf in mind to protect against THE KILLER PRIUS. The concept sure sounds simple — with two sound-detecting rings and a wristwatch, the Vibering listens for a variety of different sounds, including car engines and honking horns. It will then warn the wearer on the distance and proximity of the car with a series of vibrations. In addition to being able to detect auto noises, the Vibering also listens for common phrases like "Excuse Me" and more. It's only a conceptual design by the design team of Kwang-seok Jeong, Min-hee Kim and Hyun-joong Kim (yeah, we've never heard of them either), but it's a hell of a lot better than the external speaker idea. [Yanko] More »
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Who needs to actually be in production of anything in order to toss out an initial public offering? Not most companies and certainly not Tesla. Elon Musk, the CEO of the wanna-be makers of the first mass-produced electric sled told attendees of the TieCon conference this weekend that he plans to take his electric-car company public by the end of 2008. Expect Fisker to file suit later today against Tesla for trying to do what they thought about doing like a year ago. (Hat tip to Kevin!) [NYT Dealbook] More »
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It looks like Henrik Fisker and company are asking to have the Tesla suit arbitrated in Orange County. As you're all well aware, neither Fisker nor Tesla are actually making cars but are instead just suing the crap out of each other over various charges (here's an explanation of the Tesla and Fisker suit). Long story short, Tesla claims Fisker stole info when designing a sedan for Tesla. Oh, by the way, here's Fisker's Karma Hybrid sedan. Who is right and who is wrong? Who cares at this point? More »
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Despite whispers of vaporware and only a little more than four months since the original concept was debuted at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, Fisker has handed out a set of six images of the Fisker Karma testing in Southern California. The prototype looks shockingly similar to the show car and is wearing only the lightest of camouflage, just vinyl stickers which do little to obscure the cars handsome body work. More »
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When we heard that Th!nk was coming to America our cynicism censors immediately lit up. Is this the same Th!nk that failed here before, went bankrupt, had their electric bike recalled and has annoying punctuation in their name? Yes. But they got that sweet sweet Kleiner Perkins VC money, right? True, that money has yet to produce a commercially successful car. The interesting history of all that below. More »
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This week we heard about a couple of lawsuits mythical electric sports car almost-manufacturer Tesla has managed to get tied up in. The first one saw Magna suing Tesla for breach of contract over its transmission design, the other was Tesla going medieval on Fisker for allegedly stealing designs associated with the Tesla Whitestar Hybrid for its Fisker Karma Hybrid. Well Popular Mechanics has gone out and consulted a lawyer-type about the guts of these lawsuits and what the likely outcomes of the twin tussles might be. We just want the slap fights to be over. [Popular Mechanics] More »
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Tesla Motors, the manufacturer of the Tesla Roadster, has filed suit against Henrik Fisker and Bernhard Koehler (yes that Fisker) claiming the duo stole confidential design information and trade secrets while working for Tesla. We're not trying to pick sides around these parts, but the Tesla claims make some sense. More »
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Henrik Fisker has announced that his new Karma plug-in hybrid sports car will come equipped with external speakers for pedestrian safety. The four seat Karma goes on sale late in 2009 and is capable of traveling up to 50 miles without using the gasoline engine. While in electric-only mode it's virtually silent, prompting fears that pedestrians could be at risk if they're unable to hear it coming. Capable of playing any sound its owner chooses, one option according to Fisker is, "like something between a Formula One car and a jet plane." More »
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Going into The 2008 Detroit Auto Show, insiders and casual observers alike could be excused for thinking that... THE SKY IS FALLING! THE SKY IS FALLING! Yeah, that's how much fear and trembling there's been swirling around the car biz, what with the tanking dollar and all this talk about "Peak Oil" and the Ford Motor Company ignoring those dinnertime calls from from Visa and MasterCard. Still, a big event like this can't help but send a few lucky folks back to the assembly lines with the electric shiver of BUZZ in their spines. Because isn't that what the Detroit show is all about anyway? More »
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Despite a convincing introduction of the Fisker Karma luxury hybrid this week, some of the most unbridled optimists on our Rolodex are whispering the techie's ultimate damnation: it's vaporware. Maybe they're jaded by the reported troubles at Tesla, especially on the heels of such a massive inflow of gushing page-inches and personal salivation (remember, of course, their story isn't over until some fat Chapter 11 attorney sings). Nonetheless, we talked for a bit with Alan Niedzwiecki, CEO of Quantum Technologies, maker of the Q DRIVE series-hybrid system powering Henrik Fisker's luxury sedan. More »
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The big news today is the Fisker Karma Luxury Hybrid, which is going to come at $80,000 and deliver luxury style, GT performance and eco-friendliness. And this isn't a flight of fancy. This is a production model that will be produced in the fourth quarter of 2009 with venture capital funding by Kleiner Perkins, who made big investments in Netscape and Google at the right time that later turned into big victories. A true lithium-ion plug-in hybrid, the electrical system is good for 50 miles of electric-only driving in stealth mode. Otherwise, the second mode of the hybrid system involves a performance-oriented four cylinder engine. The company currently puts the performance at 5.8 seconds 0-60 mph with a top speed of 125 mph (continuous). Interestingly, we also got photos of Mark Fields chatting it up at the Fisker display before the reveal. Old friend, new partner — or maybe a mullet potential curious onlooker attempting to find out more about what's going on under the hood?
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