2010 Fisker Karma
Just looking at the Fisker Karma, the proposed price tag of $87,900 seems too low. That sort of styling and body work belongs on high-performance supercars that cost close to a million dollars, not on a hybrid designed in Irvine, California. When you hear that the gasoline engine for this hybrid is a 2.0-liter supercharge Ecotect four-cylinder made by General Motors, it almost seems like sacrilege. The Karma deserves nothing less than a jet engine. If a hybrid vehicle is supposed to have unique styling to differentiate itself from the pack, then let’s forget the Prius and take styling cues from the Karma.
Actually, calling the Fisker Karma a hybrid isn’t quite correct. The hybrids of today have gasoline-powered drivetrains that have electric motors to help out when possible. The Karma is an all-electric-drive vehicle that has a gasoline-powered generator onboard. It has a lithium-ion battery pack connected to two electric motors that have a combined output of 408 horsepower and a ridiculously-high 959 lb-ft of torque. The aforementioned 2.0-liter engine is used only for charging the battery pack. This system is similar to that which is on the upcoming Chevrolet Volt.
Don’t let the “hybrid” name fool you, though. The Karma is as fast as it looks. Top speed is 125 mph and 0-to-60 mph takes only 5.8 seconds. Not bad for electric motors and hauling around a bunch of battery weight that makes the Karma top the scales at 4,650 pounds. And, despite the performance pedigree of the Karma, it still gets 300 miles per charge.
The Fisker Karma will roll out in November of this year, and a planned 15,000 units per year should keep hybrid drivers happy. Whereas the Prius and other current hybrid vehicles make people think, “Hey, there goes an efficient car. I bet the driver doesn’t pay much for gas,” the Fisker Karma will cause jaws to drop. Once people see this car they turn green, but it won’t be eco-friendliness that does it; it will be envy.One Missed Call hdOrlando dvd
April 26th, 2009 at 12:38 am
[...] excited: a scalable drivetrain. Most electric drivetrains are either really powerful (see: the Fisker Karma), and some are fairly weak when it comes to power output. What SSC has done is developed what [...]
June 24th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
[...] hybrid vehicles, like the Bright Idea cargo van, and the futuristic electric-drive sedans, like the Fisker Karma, is that the company is not trying to make a new car from the ground up. Instead, by taking a [...]