Henrik Fisker, the ex BMW and Aston Martin designer and the relatively new CEO of Fisker Coachbuild was buoyant Monday as he introduced his production-ready Fisker Karma plug-in series hybrid luxury car, ready to roll into an expected 40 dealerships before year-end at an unbelievably approachable price point of $87,900 USD.
The car will sport the same race-inspired aluminum space frame structure and the same plug-in series hybrid powertrain, boasting a small GM-sourced 2.0-litre Ecotec turbocharged four-cylinder good for 260-horsepower, but used for extended-range mobility via quickly spinning up the generator that feeds electricity to two rear-mounted 201-horsepower electric motors, making a combined output of 402-horsepower.
An exclusive lithium-ion battery pack replaces what would otherwise have been a driveshaft tunnel, improving on the highly polluting nickel metal hydride batteries currently used in today’s hybrid cars. Capable of sprinting to 100 km/h under six seconds (0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds) and offering a comfortable cruising speed of over 200 km/h (125 mph), it’s one electric vehicle buyers will get a charge out of.
Much like the highly publicized Chevy Volt and new Cadillac Converj concept, introduced at the Detroit show the day prior, the Karma runs purely on electric power, making for zero running emissions. Somehow Fisker’s engineering team has managed an additional 10 miles of range out of the much heavier, more powerful and luxurious Karma, however, for a total of 50 miles between recharging. If you live within 25 miles of your job, it’s entirely possible you’ll only have to purchase gasoline for extended trips. Now that’s luxury!
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