How many times have we read about various green car concepts that come to nothing? They look exciting on paper, we anticipate that they will be the ‘next big thing’ and then they disappear before they’ve even reached dealerships.
However, if you were expecting the Fisker Karma to be another example of a green car that got away, then it seems you got one wrong. Some 18 months after unveiling the Karma concept at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, Fisker remains on track to build the first vehicles by the end of the year and deliver to customers starting in May or June next year.
The 2010 Fisker Karma will offer 400 horsepower of peak power and has a 0-60mph time of less than six seconds. It features a 2.4 litre Ecotec four cylinder engine as well as a 22kilowatt lithium-ion battery pack from Canada’s Advanced Lithium Power. Of course all this technology comes at a price – it will retail for around $87,000.
The Karma uses similar hybrid architecture to the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and operates exclusively on electricity for up to 50 miles depending on how aggressively it is driven. The petrol engine then generates enough electricity to run for 250 more miles.
The company, which is privately funded, is reported to have 1,400 deposits for the vehicle already.
