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Fisker Karma battery poses 'potential safety issue' for about 50 autos, fix already in tow
Fisker has seen its fair share of delays on its Karma EV in the past, and now ''fewer than 50" of the vehicles -- which if you'll recall, cost over $100K -- are at risk for battery malfunction. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, A123 (the company which supplies the car's power pack) has issued a memo to customers and stakeholders, noting that "in rare circumstances" the car's batts could short-circuit due to coolant leakage from "misaligned hose clamps." A123 further explained that's already begun repairing the Karma's in question, and doesn't expect to experience to strain its relationship with Fisker due to the problem. Notably, Bloomberg also reports that 25 of the automobiles get assembled daily, with about 225 currently en-route to showroom floors -- a far cry from the company's earlier estimates for the 2011 production year. You'll find A123's full PDF memo at the source link below.
Fisker Karma gets EPA-certified 52MPGe, sales ready to begin
It hasn't had the smoothest birth, nor the cheapest, but Fisker can apparently start selling Karmas for real this time. The tantalizing plug-in hybrid that first wowed us nearly four years ago has just cleared US government testing, the final hurdle holding back deliveries. So, how did it fare after being brutalized by the EPA? Not as well as the company had hoped, as the 52MPGe and 32 miles of electric range fell short of the respective 67.2 and 50 figures the company had previously been touting. Not a huge drop, like another plug-in EV we know, yet probably less than you'd been hoping for something that costs over $90,000. And, when you do run out of juice, you'll be looking at just 20MPG while puttering around on gasoline. Actual customer deliveries are scheduled in the following weeks, but until then take a joy ride in one of 39 Karmas being rolled out to dealers.
Fisker Karma pushes deliveries back again as it awaits federal emissions certification
It looks like those eager to finally take a Fisker Karma EV home will have to wait a bit longer, again. This time, though, the delay is largely out of the company's hands, as it's simply waiting for final federal certification on emissions regulations before it delivers the first test vehicles to dealers. According to the company, the first of those are now expected to be delivered by the end of September, although at least some dealers apparently won't be fulfilling orders until the first week of November.
Fisker Karma boss nabs first set of keys, s'pose we'd do the same
In an old-fashioned display of corporate introversion, the keys to the first production Fisker Karma will be handed not to a real customer, or a profile-raising celeb, or even to a good cause. Nope, they'll be whisked straight into the silky pockets of Ray Lane, chairman of the board of directors at Fisker Automotive. Unless it's an entirely empty publicity stunt and he has to hand the keys right back, lucky Lane will be driving home this afternoon in a luxury EV with a 300-mile range and 125MPH top speed. The rest of us, however, will have to wait til October -- and cough up $95,900.
Six Fisker Karmas roll off the production line, coming soon to a city near you
It's been months since the first Fisker Karma came forth from the factory, and in the time since, the sleek saloon's production timeline experienced a delay or two along the way. Yet, here we are, and the next six production Fiskers have finally been constructed. Unfortunately, those with open wallets will have to wait to get one of the elusive EVs, as the sextet of Karmas is bound for a nationwide barnstorming tour -- so that the masses may caress the car's curvy lines and perhaps take one for a spin. Details are scarce regarding the test drives, but OC Metro reports that 44 fortunate cities and 3,000 people will get to cruise in the performance EV over the next three months. Now that's some good Karma.
Fisker Karma delayed again, but only by a tiny little bit
Yes, that's a Fisker Karma at the Monaco Grand Prix starting line, but no, it won't be taking off just yet, at least not this month. Last we heard from Roger Ormisher, Fisker Automotive's Communications chief, the electric supercar was set to debut in the US during the June / July timeframe, but that's now been nudged that extra bit later, with "the first" dealer demonstration vehicles and customer orders landing firmly in July. So, you'll have to keep stashing that $95,900 under your mattress for a little while longer, but look on the bright side: Fisker's delays are getting shorter all the time!
Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar panel roads, floating golf, and the 2,564.8 MPG race car
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Building technology got a tremendous boost this week as Inhabitat reported on a new type of graphene super paper that is 10 times stronger than steel and six times as light. We also took a look at several remarkable new infrastructure projects popping up around the world - from a self-sufficient floating golf course in the Maldives to London's gleaming new cable car system, to the Netherlands' plan to supercharge its roadways with solar panels. Speaking of hot asphalt, this week the ultra-efficient Alerion race car blazed a trail at the Shell Eco-Marathon, clocking in an incredible 2,564.8 miles per gallon. Meanwhile, Fisker announced that its sexy electric Karma sedan will hit the road this summer, and we were surprised to hear that Marcelo da Luz was forced to pull his solar-powered X of 1 car across Ontario due to road regulations. The New York Auto Show also kicked off with a blast this week as Lexus unveiled its next-gen LF-Gh concept hybrid and Porsche rolled out a 911 GTR 3 in a Facebook colorway that got a lot of "likes". Finally, we looked at several futuristic example of wearable technology this week including a pair of RoboCop-like glasses that are capable of scanning 400 faces per second at public events. We also brought you a brilliant LED backpack that lets cyclists send signals to drivers, a pollution-detecting t-shirt, and a clock that tells time by knitting a new scarf every year.
Fisker Karma production slowly ramping up, first deliveries expected in June or July
The company is insisting it can't "really be interpreted as a delay" given that it's gone from prototype to production in just 37 months, but Fisker is now saying that the first all-electric Karma luxury vehicles will delivered to their owners sometime in June or July -- which you'll notice is neither late 2010 nor the first quarter of 2011, as had been promised. Fisker's Roger Ormisher also points out that the company did begin "limited series production" at the end of March as planned, and he says the company is "ramping up slowly to ensure absolute quality." Is it worth the nearly $100k price tag? It certainly seems to be if you've got the cash to spare.
EV milestone: Fisker rolls first Karma off the assembly line, aims to deliver 7,000 this year
Patience can bear such wonderful fruit, can't it? The electrified (and electrifying) Karma, which first graced the world with its presence back in 2008, has managed to negotiate the slalom course of funding and logistical issues that faces any new upstart company and can now boast its very first production unit. The Karma 1 above will be making its way out within a month (presumably after every nook, cranny and capacitor has been polished to perfection) and company spokesman Roger Ormisher says the plan is to ramp up very slowly and carefully, reaching "over 7,000 deliveries" by year's end. Considering the rate at which Leafs and Volts have been selling so far, that doesn't actually sound half bad.
Fisker Karma enters production on March 21st, our future shortly thereafter
It's been a long road for the Karma to reach production, but now it finally has an end in sight: March 21st. That's the date Fisker promises to start rolling its gorgeous PHEV off assembly lines, with deliveries to the first humans to reserve one coming up in April. The price for the 2012 Karma remains a mighty $95,900, though if you ask our brethren over at Autoblog, that's a bunch of pennies well spent. Fisker expects to start producing 1,500 Karmas per month starting in October and to then sell 15,000 a year from 2012 onwards.
Fisker raises Karma plug-in hybrid base price to $95,900, brings that 750i back into consideration
Oh, sure -- gas is bound to hit $4 a gallon before 2020, but you can buy an awful let of petrol with the money you'll save from dodging Fisker's increasingly expensive Karma. 'Course, those looking to blow 100 grand on an eco-friendly automobile are probably doing so just to throw Ma Earth a bone, but still -- money matters. Originally teased way back in the fall of 2007, Fisker's first plug-in hybrid still hasn't ended up anywhere near mass production, but it has managed to see two rather significant upticks in price all the while. Right around two years ago, we saw the $80,000 MSRP boosted by $7,000, and today, prospective customers are being notified via email that the Karma's base price is now sitting at $95,900 before a $950 destination fee. Granted, the company insists that this includes an integrated solar roof panel (valued at $5,000), and it still starts at $1,400 less than a Panamera S. And yeah, that base price does shrink to $88,400 after you include federal tax incentives. That said, we're doubting high-rollers that were dead-set on handing over $73,000 or so after tax breaks are currently stoked about an increase this large, particularly when there's still no definitive ship date. To Fisker's credit, we've seen General Motors go through similar trials and tribulations surrounding the Volt, and even at $95k, you'll be hard pressed to find more sexy than this on four (street legal) wheels.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Honeycomb skyscrapers, solar funnels, and the Karma PHEV supercar
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. High tech architecture took the spotlight this week as Aedas unveiled a set of photovoltaic crystalline honeycomb skyscrapers for Abu Dhabi and San Francisco unfurled plans for a sail-shaped solar stadium for the America's Cup yacht race. We also took an exclusive look inside a high-tech solar home that actually produces more energy than it consumes, and spotted a new technology that can transform any home's electrical wiring into an information-transmitting antenna. We also showcased some of the world's most efficient vehicles as the winners of the $10 million Automotive X-Prize were announced, and we were excited to hear that the first factory-built Fisker Karma supercar will be rolling up to the Paris Auto Show next month. Finally, we peek inside Jay Leno's envy-inducing green garage in this week's episode of Green Overdrive. In other news, MIT made waves on the renewable energy front as they revealed a new "solar funnel" technology that could increase the efficiency of photovoltaic cells 100 times. We also took a first look at Eddy GT's new streamlined city-friendly wind turbine, and we saw Tesla batteries jump-start residential solar systems by storing excess energy.
Department of Energy lends Fisker $528.7 million for Karma and Project Nina
Well, it seems like that sex-on-wheels advert has done its job. Fisker's development of the oh so desirable Karma PHEV and its lower-cost sibling, now known as Project Nina (inspired by Christopher Columbus' escape from the Old World, no less), has been given a significant boost by the US government. Henrik Fisker himself has been quoted as saying that once the conditional loan is in, "it wouldn't take long to get the lower-cost plug-in hybrid on the road." If the company carries over the aggressive styling from the luxury model, it might have a real winner on its hands, though -- we know -- it's got to be cheap enough first. While waiting for that $528.7 million to work its magic, you can gawk at the solar paneled roof on the Karma, to be found after the break.
Production Fisker Karma gets revealed, shakes that sexy thang
Unlike another automaker out there, Fisker Automotive's eco-friendly vehicle looks a whole lot like the concept, and while the Tesla Roadster is certainly a sexy beast, we're having an exceptionally difficult time taming our fondness for this ride. The $80,000 $87,000 plug-in hybrid has been officially revealed ahead of its "debut" at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, but sadly, it seems that the '09 ship date has already slipped to "late 2010." We can't say looking at the gorgeous pictures make that fact any less depressing, but they're all there in the read link if you care to indulge.[Via CNET]
Judge sides with Fisker in Tesla arbitration case
It started out with allegations of stolen secrets and quickly gave way to plenty of jokes involving "bad karma" before ultimately winding up an in arbitration, and it now looks like the legal tussle between Tesla Motors and Henrik Fisker of Fisker Automotive has finally come to a close. That lawsuit, as you may recall, had accused Fisker (who worked on Tesla's WhiteStar sedan) of stealing Tesla's hybrid technology and using it in Fisker's own car, the Fisker Karma. The judge in the case apparently couldn't disagree more with Tesla's claims, however, and has now cited "overwhelming" evidence in ruling in Fisker's favor. For it's part, Tesla simply said that, "we disagree with the ruling, and we're focused on producing and shipping cars to our customers," while Fisker is expectedly taking the opportunity to gloat a bit, saying that the ruling "completely vindicates" Fisker.[Via AutoblogGreen]
Fisker Karma hybrid sports car spotted on test track complete with stripes and video
Despite all the lawsuit hoopla over who-stole-what, Fisker Automotive is trudging along with its $80,000 Karma plug-in performance hybrid. New, stripey pictures of the actual vehicle in test runs popped up this week telling us that the Karma could actually hit dealers by 2009 as promised. The pictures are nice -- so nice, in fact, that it turns out they were "leaked" by Fisker's own PR agency along with a video. For review, the Fisker Karma will do 0-60 in 5.8 seconds and top out at 150MPH via an electric / internal-combustion hybrid engine. Latest word is that the combustion engine portion is of Volkswagen build. Fisker is only saying that the engine is of German build, and we say, "gut!" -- let those external speakers roar! The "leaked" video is after the break.
Fisker Karma hybrid sports car to generate motor noise through external speakers
You know how we love the electric cars around here, but internal combustion sure does sound sexy -- a big V-8 literally brings the noise in a way the nearly-silent whir of an electric motor can't hope to match. Well, it looks like the mad geniuses behind the $80,000 Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid have hit upon an appropriately high-tech solution: speakers placed inside and out that allow drivers to give their rides any sound they want, including one described as "like something between a Formula One car and a jet plane." Interesting, to be sure -- but seeing as the Karma can hit 125mph and go from 0-60 in six seconds, we'd be happier if that rig just screamed at people to get out of the left lane.[Via Autoblog]
The "eco-chic" Fisker Karma and 150mpg XH-150 hybrids revealed
Hybrids are the rage at this year's Detroit Auto Show. Center stage then is the $100,000 $80,000 Fisker Automotive plug-in hybrid set for delivery in 2009. California-based Fisker is the namesake of Danish-born Henrik Fisker, CEO and former BMW and Aston Martin designer. The Fisker Karma (pictured), can go up to 50 miles before the gas engine kicks in to charge the lithium-ion batteries. It features a 150mph top speed capable of reaching 60mph from a standstill in 5.8 seconds. Sharing the stage with Fisker is AFS Trinity Power Corporation and their 150mpg plug-in hybrid XH-150 SUV -- that "XH" stands for Extreme Hybrid. Unlike traditional hybrids, the XH-150's powertrain uses ultra-capacitors, not gas, for "fast" acceleration. The XH-150 goes from 0 to 60 in 6.9 seconds with a top highway speed of just 87mph. Instead of bringing the XH-150 to market, however, AFS Trinity is more focused on licensing their ultra-capacitor technology. Good idea too, after checking the ho-hum XH-150 just beyond the break. [Via c|net News] Read -- Fisker Karma Read -- AFT Trinity unveils 150 MG XH SUV
