Edmunds.com-

“The double-wishbone suspension with its forged aluminum arms and self-leveling rear dampers puts the Karma near the top of the sporty premium four-door class in terms of handling characteristics.”

“Interior finish and materials quality are exceptional for this class and there is no cabin more ecologically conceived as this.”

Autoblog.com-

Motor Trend-

“Whew – Hollywood Can Finally Park its Priuses”

“Quite frankly, the electric car’s scotch-taped-glasses image has waited a century for a guy like Henrik Fisker to come along. His Karma is a jaw-slackening design manifesto from its fangy grill to its turbulent tail.”

Road and Track-

“The Karma’s digital instrumentation and 10.2-in. touch-screen are exemplary in clarity and function.”

“It’s extremely well balanced and, to me, more nimble than either a BMW 7 Series or Porsche Panamera—meant as high praise”

“ Indeed the Karma is genuinely lithe, taut, tossable and fun. It’s also plenty quick, whether in Stealth or Sport mode.”

Car and Driver-

“Three years and a billion investment dollars after the Fisker Karma rolled forth as a stunning plug-in-hybrid concept, it’s finally ready to rock as a stunning production car. All in less time (and for far less money) than GM needed to produce the Chevy Volt. “

“The Karma’s steering is endowed with real road feel and linear turn-in response. The ride is supple, and there’s minimal body roll when you fling the wheel”

“ Considering its low-slung and curvaceous flanks, the Karma provides surprisingly easy entry and cozy accommodations for four grown-ups.”

“Trim is a cut or two above the $100,000 norm, thanks to fine detailing and lovely custom touches.”

“Some of those who’ve plunked down the cash are doubtless atoning for past turbo-V-8 sins, but others may be less altruistic, simply drawn to the sexiest fenders ever draped over an American sedan. Whatever their motivation, they’ll get a beautiful, luxurious machine that goes easy on the guilt.”

Auto Car-

“The car is extremely swift. The Karma has excellent electro-hydraulic steering and an understeer-free chassis that seems to thrive on tight cornering. The car is a joy to drive on a tight handling course”

“Overall, the Karma is an exciting, rewarding but entirely predictable car.”

“The Karma has several vital factors in its favour, not least its stop-the-traffic looks, its thorough engineering, its great driving characteristics and a price that, while high, doesn’t look unrealistic against the competition”

“It could easily become the next must-have automobile among Hollywood’s glitterati.”

Automobile-

“the most important car of the year. And for multiple reasons.”

“It’s a $97,000 car with a $97,000 window sticker. The technology is merely a bonus.”

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Designed and engineered by Southern California automaker Fisker Automotive (www.fiskerautomotive.com) the four-door Karma is the embodiment of the design-driven company’s firm belief that environmentally conscious cars need not sacrifice passion, style or performance.

By combining world-class style and performance with industry leading efficiency and the lowest emissions of nearly any production car the Fisker Karma is the only responsible option for luxury car buyers.

Driven only by electric motors at all times the Karma delivers the zero-tailpipe-emissions of an all-electric vehicle and eliminates Range Anxiety with the 300 mile (480 km) range of a traditional gas-powered car.

“The Fisker Karma represents our goal of bringing an eco-friendly vehicle founded on the principals of ‘Pure Driving Passion’ to consumers around the world,” said Henrik Fisker, CEO.  “As a center for style and culture made up of people who are proud to express their personalities and their concern for the environment, Los Angeles is the perfect place for the Karma to make its North American debut.”

[Source: Fisker Automotive]

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Fortunately, the production incarnation has kept the features of the concept and added some exciting new ones. The vehicle measures 4.99 meters (196.7 inches) in length, 1.98 meters (78.1 inches) in width and is only 1.33 meters (52.4 inches) high. The car rides on the concept’s 22 inch aluminum-alloy Circuit Blade wheels. Another retained feature is the the world’s largest spherically curved, monolithic solar roof panel.

However, as we said, the vehicle also adds certain features. The most visible exterior change is the addition of B-pillars – this was necessary to meet crash test standards.

The interior comes with a industry-first 25 cm (10.2 inches) haptic feedback screen that includes the controls for the automatic dual-zone climate control system, audio/infotainment, phone, navigation and vehicle systems.

[Source: autoevolution]

[Source: Reuters]

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Another big time article for Fisker, just after the spread in Popular Science now the New York Times has picked up the story.

Fisker was founded in the summer of 2007, and many people have been eagerly anticipating the Karma. And why not? The car is undeniably attractive, with a compelling environmental story and (at least on paper) rip-roaring high performance. Henrik Fisker, the chief executive, is also a charismatic figure. But just months from the car’s debut, very few people outside the company have driven it. (The crown prince of Denmark got a Karma ride to a climate conference.)

Popular Science wrote about the Karma in its May issue, calling Fisker’s secrecy “worrisome.” The magazine also posed questions and noted that the company “is on its third battery supplier in three years.” In the positive column, the article cited “a highly respected founder, attractive prototypes and a half-billion-dollar loan.”

[Source: The New York Times]

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Fisker Automotive’s COO Bernard Koehler spoke at a manufacturing conference hosted by the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce.  He spoke with great confidence of the pending sales and subsequent renovation of the Boxwood plant.

Fisker plans to produce two lines of luxury plug-in hybrid cars at the factory, where it expects to eventually employ 2,000 workers.

Koehler was the keynote speaker at the chamber’s manufacturing conference, held in the morning at the Sheraton Hotel on U.S. 13, and shared the stage at a legislative brunch with Delaware Gov. Jack Markell in the afternoon. In both addresses, Koehler committed to working with local suppliers at the plant, and said the company will hold an event as early as May for suppliers to meet Fisker executives and push their wares.

He also spoke Wednesday about choosing Delaware — among many states that were courting the company — as its manufacturing hub.

“It’s a great location,” Koehler said. “The equipment is still in place. We have the work force here. Why not Delaware?”

[Source: delawareonline]

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The advanced aluminum space frame underpinning the Fisker Karma incorporates new levels of rigidity and strength that will give the world’s first premium plug-in hybrid electric vehicle world-class ride and handling characteristics. It will debut at the Geneva Motor Show March 2-14, 2010.  Fisker Automotive’s talented and experienced engineering team designed the Karma’s space frame around the car’s unique Q-DRIVE® series-hybrid powertrain, filing for multiple patents in the process. Q-DRIVE® consists of a 2.0-liter turbocharged ECOTEC® engine/generator set, a lithium-ion battery pack from A123 Systems, and a rear-mounted 403hp traction motor assembly.

Though it forms the foundation of a large sedan the Karma space frame’s rigidity is exceptional even when compared to today’s sports cars. By utilizing 5,000- and 6,000-series aluminum alloys and a unique extrusion-intensive architecture, the Fisker engineering team achieved the best balance between weight and size.  “Our top priorities when we designed the Karma’s aluminum space frame were that it have extremely high torsional rigidity and could be easily modified to accept Karma model variants,” explained Henrik Fisker, CEO, Fisker Automotive. “We benchmarked some of the world’s best cars to create an all-new space frame that will deliver an exhilarating experience behind the wheel.  A super-structural tunnel running down the car’s centerline acts as the Karma’s backbone. It not only houses the battery pack but acts as a torque tube connecting front and rear sections. For optimal strength the Karma’s space frame is joined with 79 meters of precision CMT MIG welds and 1,058 self-piercing rivets. Each technique is used independently only where necessary to ensure top quality and durability.  The result is an industry-leading space frame that provides a solid foundation for the Karma. Few cars match its statistics: Static torsional rigidity – the amount the space frame resists twisting forces when entering a ramp at an angle, for example –measures more than 33,000 Newton-meters per degree (Nm/deg). Static bending rigidity – the amount the space frame resists flexing forces as the car enters a ramp straight on, for example – measures more than 23,000 N/mm. Dynamic stiffness – the space frame’s resistance to resonant vibrations like those felt when driving over a sharp bump or rough road surfaces—is also world class.

Priority: Safety

Thanks to intelligent engineering solutions the Karma’s space frame also provides the utmost in occupant safety and exceeds global crash protection standards.  Front impact protection starts with a patent-pending, multi-cell tempered aluminum crush box that displaces high-impact energy away from passengers. Its unique design allows it to be easily replaced, reducing repair costs that could lower insurance premiums. Dual Phase 600-Series steel reinforced components in the doors and Bpillars provide substantial side impact protection. And the lithium-ion battery’s location in the center of the car puts it farthest from impact areas.  Valmet Automotive will assemble the space frames at its state-of-the-art facility in Uusikaupunki, Finland.

[Source: Fisker Automotive; Image: TheMotorReport]

Fisker Automotive, developer of the world’s first premium plug-in hybrid, is expanding to accelerate development of its next generation plug-in hybrids, code named Project NINA.

Beginning March 1 Fisker Automotive’s global headquarters in Irvine, California will house all design, engineering, sales, marketing, and administrative operations. All positions from the company’s Pontiac, Michigan facility will be transferred, and the company expects the number of new hires to expand dramatically.

The consolidation will not affect Fisker Automotive’s partnerships with several dozen Michigan-based engineering firms and parts supply companies.

“Having our entire team in California ensures greater efficiency and speeds up development of our new plug-in hybrids,” said Henrik Fisker, CEO. “We are expanding quickly to work on both Karma and Project NINA programs at the same time.”

Fisker Automotive’s recent $115 million round of private equity funding has made the changes possible ahead of schedule.

Project NINA, already in progress, will result in a line of family-oriented plug-in hybrids expected to start at $39,900 after a $7,500 federal tax credit. State and local incentives could effectively lower the price further. Fisker Automotive plans to start production in 2012 at a factory in Wilmington, Delaware formerly owned by General Motors.

The program is expected to save or create up to 5,000 direct and indirect U.S. jobs and reach an anticipated volume of 100,000 plug-in hybrids per year in 2013.

Fisker Automotive created the premium green car segment when it unveiled its Karma plug-in hybrid in 2008. Since then several major manufacturers have announced their intent to compete.

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This funding is necessary for Fisker Automotive (www.fiskerautomotive.com) to access a $528.7 million U.S. Department of Energy conditional loan that will, in part, help speed completion of the Fisker Karma, the company’s first plug-in hybrid.

The raise comes at a time when capital is scarce, the auto industry is struggling and the global economy is just beginning to rebound.

Starting at $87,900 the Karma paves the way for development of lower-cost plug-in hybrid technology for a second, family-oriented car code named Project NINA. Project NINA is expected to be built in Wilmington, Delaware at a former General Motors assembly plant starting in 2012.

“Raising $115 million in these times speaks volumes about the value of our business model and the vast potential of plug-in hybrids,” said Henrik Fisker, CEO.

Investors include A123 Systems, Ace Investments and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Fisker Automotive earlier this week signed a multi-year supply agreement with A123 Systems for the lithium-ion batteries that will power the Karma.

“Fisker Automotive selected A123 because of the company’s ability to meet our performance needs and rapidly scale to our production volume,” said Fisker. “We are committed to developing environmentally friendly cars that don’t sacrifice style or performance. A123’s technology will ensure the Karma delivers.”

Designed and engineered in the U.S., the four-door Karma proves eco-friendly cars can still have style and power. The Karma can reach 60mph in six seconds and top 125mph, yet runs cleaner and more efficiently than today’s most popular hybrids.

[Source: Fisker Automotive]

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