Department of Energy lends Fisker $528.7 million for Karma and Project Nina
By Vladislav Savov 
posted Sep 23rd 2009 7:39AM
posted Sep 23rd 2009 7:39AM
posted Sep 23rd 2009 7:39AM
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I don't trust cars with mustaches.
we can shave it for ya
I think that thing is hideous. The Tesla Roadster and the Tesla Model S are BOTH more attractive to me than that thing...
@SewerShark: that's my quote! LOL!
Keep f****** that chicken
Is that really all you care about? Mustaches?
Bring back the Rio Karma!!!
Idiots like you post totally irrelevant comments !
.
.
@ Ameen
If you plan making "chastising irrelevant posts on the internet" a habit, you're going to be pretty busy. Good luck.
Er, it was a pun referring to your profile name, dumbo ! ;P
i'll wait for the wireless charging model :-)
soon enough, soon enough.
The Possibilities are already here.
http://www.ted.com/talks/eric_giler_demos_wireless_electricity.html
Want to smell like chicken in microwave? ;)
I really hope this makes it to the UK.
Fiska, WIN
This, Fail: http://altfuelsaustralia.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/reva.jpg
Europe and the UK are supposed to account for over half the market initially. On the plus side, it features a Stealth mode that allows it to run as a pure-EV. The ICE will be disabled so that it will not have any emissions - thus enabling the Karma to run in city centers that would be off limits for a traditional ICE powered car.
Yes sir!
Really? The Reva looks a lot more practical to me, and probably lighter and more energy-efficient. The Fisker Karma is longer and wider than a Ford Explorer - would you really want to drive that in the UK?
Actually, yes.
The Karma is approximately the same size as an Audi A4. Karma (Karma: 4987 mm x 1984 mm x 1330 mm, compared to the Audi: 4703 mm x 2006 mm x 1427 mm). Meaning that it would be no less practical for our UK roads than any other car. I understand that the Karma is not in the same class as the A4; I used it for comparison as a 'practical' car size.
The reason I put the picture of the Reva as a comparison is more of a critique of the current state of the Electric car market in general (in the UK). The fact of the matter is, that public perception of electric cars boils down to the Reva and milk floats; and it will take the introduction of cars like the Karma to break that perception.
Also, the Reva might look practical, but the limited range is a no-go for my wife, who can easily do 60-70 miles in a day as a community healthcare practitioner (also carrying equipment).
Only with desirable cars being produced, challenging preconceptions, will the EV market grow. If I do say so myself, the Karma looks incredible, and I eagerly await it's release!
Cloudy day and Karma can be a bitch sometimes...
Boy George is sayed to buy one Karma with chameleon leather interior. Sorry, just couldn't help myself. Also i won't make another joke with Karma Kramer.
JETJAGUAR!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cxV8Bf8ND4
I think that car just oozes sex, man!
I dunno. The back of that car looks "wrong" to me. Maybe it's the camera angle that is doing it...
looks like an ex porn star
Let me get this straight, from wiki i get that this car was funded by a Qatar investment company. Was the brainchild of a danish person. The body shell is going to be manufactured in Finland but the shell will be made in Norway. The cabin interior is designed by Fisker Auto but made in USA by Magna International a Canadian company (wtf??). The lithium batteries in the car come from either Vancouver or a company in Indianapolis. He also outsourced his engineering at least that was in the US in pontiac michigan. And the company is based in Irvine, with only 100 employees.
HOW THE HELL IS THIS AN AMERICAN CAR COMPANY???? and we gave 500 million to them ???
Well, they are incorporated in Irvine, California, as you pointed out. They also happen to be a spin-off (still 20% owned) of Quantum Technology - who created the car company with Henrik Fisker in order to sell their Q-Drive drive train.
It doesn't matter where their investors are from (and you neglected to mention Palo Alto Investors and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers - that's Al Gore), nor does it matter where the parts are made or assembled.
If those things mattered, Apple would be considered to be a Chinese electronics company.
Imagine that... an Al Gore-backed green car that gets $500+ million in tax payer money.
Kevin
You noticed that too? Who'd a thunk it - right?
/did MY due diligence as an investor, LOL
this is a big IF here...
what if the reason ZENN just announced it won't build it's own vehicle because it is going to licence EEStor to these guys and others. the estimated 250 mile range on nina was with lithium i believe, wonder if that could be 400 with an EESU? and be quicker to charge, longer lasting...
that said, none of EESor is proven and could be a big ole hoax.
I can't wait to drive something that runs like my electric toothbrush.
Contrary to what SewerShark said, this car would actually go well with my mustache.
Just kidding, I don't have a mustache. I still want the car, though.
Is this one of those famous engadget give away of a prizes? I want to win one? Are you giving one away?
Can someone explain why my tax money is being handed out to fund development of fancy sports cars? Does this mean Ferrari could plug an extension cord into one of their cars and the government would give them $500 mill too? :P
The Italian government could, if they wanted to. I know they were planning to bail out FIAT (owns Ferrari) earlier this year, but I haven't been able to find anything more recent.
These loans were for American companies who would produce mass-market "green" cars in the US. Fisker fits the bill. The money is primarily going to the NINA project, which will be an affordable family car. Currently, Fisker's only product is the Karma, pictured above. Since there are no renderings of the NINA yet, it makes sense to illustrate Fisker's design and engineering prowess with their highly-anticipated plug-in series hybrid - the first such vehicle to be available on the market.
Anyway, it's a loan, not a hand-out. Fisker will have to pay it all back, plus interest, so the US DOE will actually make money on this. That should make you happy, taxpayer!
Loved, much better than Tesla. At least they think about drivers and comfortable drive than how its looks sporty outside.
The Karma is approximately the same size as an Audi A4. Karma (Karma: 4987 mm x 1984 mm x 1330 mm, compared to the Audi: 4703 mm x 2006 mm x 1427 mm). Meaning that it would be no less practical for our UK roads than any other car. I understand that the Karma is not in the same class as the A4; I used it for comparison as a 'practical' car size.
The reason I put the picture of the Reva as a comparison is more of a critique of the current state of the Electric car market in general (in the UK). The fact of the matter is, that public perception of electric cars boils down to the Reva and milk floats; and it will take the introduction of cars like the Karma to break that perception.
Also, the Reva might look practical, but the limited range is a no-go for my wife, who can easily do 60-70 miles in a day as a community healthcare practitioner (also carrying equipment).
Only with desirable cars being produced, challenging preconceptions, will the EV market grow. If I do say so myself, the Karma looks incredible, and I eagerly await it's release!
Its alot larger than the A4, more like A6 or possibly bigger.
The car bodyshape is already looking dated- in public for over 2 yrs. Would like to see it given a mild makeover now they have all that lovely Obama money- sort the grill out (is there a Law which says electric cars have to be butt ugly at the front) and the front side window profile(too low), drop in some Ferrariesque side details perhaps. This is a good looking car but it could be even better.
There is another industry where this hybrid technology would really work, big industry too, which I am now working in. Maybe I should email them..