Fisker Karma – 4 Door Hybrid Sports Car

Hybrid Power

Quantum are responsible for providing the plug-in-hybrid electric vehicle architecture “Q-Drive” which will alone, allow the car to travel 50 miles with zero-emission (the battery only range). Q-Drive is a system which uses a small engine to charge the battery when driving around. Charging of the car is done at home with a regular 110-volt outlet. If you want to be really environmentally friendly then you can use the 220/240V fast charging system which uses Quantum’s solar energy system which is embedded in the roof of the car. The solar roof also can use it’s generated energy to cool the cabin while the car is parked which is a unique feature.



The price tag of the Fisker Karma will be in the $80,000 range. Deliveries will commence in the 4th quarter of 2009.

A joint venture between Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide and Fisker Automotive will bring us the Fisker Karma. This 4 door sports car is a hybrid capable of 0-60 in 6 seconds with a top speed of over 125MPH.

Fox News Blasts Fisker, Tesla Motors With Inaccurate Claims, Fisker Responds

News networks takes a shot at the green movement

Fox News anchors aggressively attacked Fisker and Tesla -- two independent leaders of America's growing electric car movement -- after the U.S. Department of Energy granted the companies loans to help further expand and commercialize promising products.

Leading the attack was Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum who emphasized that Al Gore had invested in Fisker, while failing to note that prominent conservative Colin Powell was also an investor and strong supporter (to Fox News' credit, the Wall Street Journal took a similar route).

However, that was the least skewed portion of segment. Fox News and its analysts went on to infer that Tesla and Fisker were not American companies and had illegitimately obtained loans from U.S. taxpayers. The commentators claimed that Tesla was based in England and Fisker in Finland. They also criticized the vehicles for being too expensive for "most Americans" to afford. Cheered by the Fox News anchor, hosted analyst David Williams remarked, "This isn't going to help average Americans. This isn't going to help the working class get these cars." [video here, courtesy of Media Matters]

In both cases the testimony was misleading. Tesla's European headquarters is indeed based in Windsor, UK. However, the majority of its business is within the United States, as is its international headquarters -- located in San Carlos, California. Similarly, Fisker does have a Finnish connection -- its plug-in hybrid Karma sports car is being sub-manufactured by Valet Automotive in Finland. Fisker's headquarters, though, is in Irvine, California. Furthermore, the practice of outsourcing manufacturing is commonplace among the U.S.'s larger automakers, GM, Ford, and Chrysler. A recent study indicated that Toyota Motors -- a non-American firm has in fact, the greatest amount of parts, monetarily, produced in the U.S.

The $528.7M USD for Fisker and $465M USD doled out to Tesla hardly seem egregious in comparison to the tens of billions that GM and Chrysler received. Even Ford has received far more -- receiving $5.9B USD in the most recent round of advanced technology loans.

Fisker chose to put out a press release to try to correct these inaccuracies, while declining to specifically target Fox News. CEO, Henrik Fisker writes, "American automaker Fisker Automotive was recently approved for a conditional loan of $528 million by the Department of Energy (DOE). While news reports were mostly factual, some ignored or marginalized the truth, or sensationalized irrelevant aspects of the loan and our company."

The release emphasizes that the DOE funding will not be used in overseas operations and will, in fact, help create or save 5,000 U.S. jobs. The company laments that the Karma is being assembled in Finland, saying it only turned to outsourcing when no U.S. plant would agree to produce the vehicle, likely due to its small production numbers. It says that much of the loan money is going towards retooling a U.S. assembly plant for its $40,000 plug-in hybrid (Project NINA) – the facility will have the capacity to build 75,000 to 100,000 vehicles a year by 2012. It also states that it is confident that it will be able to repay taxpayers, with interest.

Fisker concludes, "It is unfortunate how false information can be disseminated and it is our intention to correct as much of it as possible."

Tech boom: The Seattle Auto Show will highlight a surge in eco-friendly technology

The upheaval in the auto world has never been more dramatic than in the past 18 months.

Jim Hammond should know. He has been the director of the Seattle Auto Show since 1973, and he's seen his share of flashy cars, redesigns and fancy marketing.

But this year is different. "This is the beginning of a whole new world of technology," he says. "Manufacturers have heard and understood what the public demanded."

That demand was for fuel-efficient advances in cars and trucks. And this year's Seattle Auto Show, which opens Wednesday at Qwest Field Event Center, will feature a wide variety of "green" innovations appearing for the first time. For example:

The Tesla Roadster is faster than a Porsche and more fuel-efficient than a Prius. The sleek roadster, which is powered by 6,831 laptop batteries, can hit 60 mph in less than four seconds. On top of that, it can travel 220 miles on a single charge while producing zero tailpipe emissions.

The Fisker Karma that will be on display is one of only four on the planet. The stylish plug-in hybrid -- produced by Henrik Fisker, a former design director at Aston Martin -- can achieve 100 mpg, and drivers who commute fewer than 50 miles per day will need to fill the gas tank only once a year.

Arcimoto, based in Eugene, Ore., has priced its goofy-looking Pulse under $20,000. The three-wheeler is estimated to save $1,000 per year in fuel costs and has a range of 50-100 miles on a single charge.

Every major manufacturer will have at least two new hybrids on display, Hammond says, with models ranging from sports cars to vans.

Several small start-up companies also will be showing off their technology at this year's show. Wheego is marketing a tiny, inexpensive battery-powered two-seater called the Whip, designed for driving short distances. Pacific Northwest company Pacific EV will show drivers how they can transform gas-guzzling cars into electric vehicles.

Automakers are hoping that the many subtle innovations on display at the five-day show will appeal to Seattle's eco-conscious buyers.

The third-generation Toyota Prius has an optional solar roof that powers the air conditioning. The Dodge Ram 1500 and Porsche Panamera feature technology that reduces fuel consumption by cutting gas to the engine when the vehicle is decelerating or stopped.

Honda and Ford are attempting to increase fuel efficiency by changing driving habits. The Insight and Fusion display feedback on the dash that shows drivers how fuel-efficient they are when accelerating and braking. Graphics provide video-game-style feedback, track statistics over time and reward drivers with tiers of recognition.

The automotive industry is full of rapid change, Hammond says, as auto manufacturers have realized that they need to adapt. The cars and technology at this year's show could be Seattle's first glimpse at those adaptations and advances that will alter the face of automobiles for years to come.

Fisker Automotive Gets 528 M Loan For Plug-in Cars

California based advanced technology car maker Fisker Automotives is awareded $528 million Department of Energy loan to develop plug-in hybrid cars. The measure will help Fisker, which is Tesla's main rival, to create 5.000 jobs in total.

Those jobs also will be saved in the domestic parts supplier companies. The first car will be called Fisker Karma, the second stage of the project will be called Fisker Nina.

Department of Energy secretary Chu praised the loan to Fisker, saying "this investment will create thousands of new American jobs and is another critical step in making sure we are positioned to compete for the clean energy jobs of the future." He also said that "plug-in hybrid electric vehicles could revolutionize personal transportation and cut our dependence on foreign oil, not to mention give us cleaner air and less carbon pollution."

The new and highly efficient electric cars from Fisker should roll off the assembly lines in the U.S. starting 2012. They will be electric cars. The engines will be powered by a lithium-ion battery or, when that is depleted, a generator that is driven by an efficient gasoline engine.

However, the range of the electric part is as much as people drive in one day. When drivers come home, they can charge their battery overnight at home. DE says Fisker plug-in hybrids' cruising range will be nearly 300 miles. This is a decent range, which is expected to result a good amount of cars sold in the U.S. market helping the Administration to meet its goal of putting 1 million plug-in hybrid cars in U.S. market by 2015.

This car development loan that DE is giving to Fisker Automotive is consisting of two stages. During the first stage Fisker will get 169.3 million for engineering the cost of the completion of the first car. It will be named Fisker Karma.

During the second Stage Fisker will get 359.36 million loan for Fisker's Project Nina. It will involve making 75,000 to 100,000 highly efficient plug-in hybrid cars. We should start seeing them in our roads in late 2012.

Fisker to Build “Affordable” Plug-In Hybrid at Former GM Plant

In an announcement no one really expected, Fisker Automotive has said it will purchase a former General Motors manufacturing facility in Wilmington, Delaware, to use as the assembly location for its upcoming “affordable” plug-in hybrids. The announcement was made inside the plant, with Delaware governor Jack Markell and native Delawarean Vice President Joe Biden in attendance.

Fisker will use the plant to assemble the vehicle that results from its Project NINA initiative, in which the company promises a family-oriented plug-in hybrid sedan that will come in at around $40K (the company quotes the marketing-friendly price of $39,900) after federal tax credits. The model will be in addition to the Karma luxury sedan, which Fisker says will start around $90,000. Production at the plant is slated to begin in 2012, with an eventual yearly capacity of 75,000 to 100,000 vehicles. Fisker says it plans to export more than half of the vehicles it produces, a figure it claims would be the highest among domestic automakers.

Fisker signed a letter of intent to buy the facility from Motors Liquidation Co.—the bad-asset corporation that resulted from GM’s recent bankruptcy proceedings—for a token $18 million. Fisker plans to then spend an additional $175 million to ready the plant for production over the next three years. The will use part of the $528.7 million Department of Energy loan it received in September.

The Wilmington assembly plant opened in 1947 and most recently served as the home of the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, and exported Opel GT, all of which shared the Kappa platform. The last GM vehicle to roll off the line was a silver Solstice when the plant closed in July of this year.

Fisker to Debut Karma Hybrid at 2010 Paris Motor Show

Luxury Cars: Irvine, California-based Fisker Automotive will debut the first factory-built Karma at the upcoming 2010 Paris Motor Show this October. The makers of the luxury-latent premium plug-in hybrid vehicle also will provide info on the expansion of its global importer network and international marketing campaign, "Pure Driving Passion," from Paris.

The Karma sounds like a luxury green dream driving machine accelerating toward its end result. It is a four-door, four-passenger luxury car that provides buyers with a viable alternative vehicle that offers better efficiency and lower emissions than the best hybrids on the market. Henrik Fisker, co-founder and CEO of the company, is the executive design director of the Karma. Mr. Fisker is the designer of some of the world's most desirable sports cars, including the BMW Z8 and Aston Martin's V8 Vantage and the DB9. Since introducing the Karma as a concept car in January 2008, Fisker has become a prominent industry leader of the development of luxury plug-in hybrids.

"We had a chance to change the premium vehicle segment with a new kind of vehicle and a new brand that appeal to consumers who are passionate about the environment, and who wish to drive a beautiful car that reflects their desire to lead a lifestyle of responsible luxury," said Mr. Fisker. "We are very excited to be introducing the first factory-built Karma luxury plug-in hybrid in Paris, a city known for inspiring its own passions."

The Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid delivers power, style, luxury, and fuel-efficiency. The 300 kw (403 hp/408 PS) Karma exceeds 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and has a top speed of more than 120 mph and a yearly average of 100 miles per gallon. With the expansion of a global marketing plan in place, Fisker's goal is to ultimately produce 100,000 cars per year.

The 2010 Paris Motor Show (Mondial de l'Automobile), which runs from October 2-17, at the Paris Expo in Porte de Versailles, should be absolutely electrifying!