Fisker cars

Fisker will begin Karma production in late 2009

It seems Fisker may be the new name in performance electric cars. As Tesla is scaling back and delaying its sedan, Fisker is announcing production plans of its electric Karma. The plug-in hybrid sedan will start production in the fourth quarter of 2009 and that the annual production is set at 15,000 vehicles. They will be built at the Valmet Automotive facility in Finland.

Fisker’s Karma is looking to make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in less than six seconds and will hit a top speed of 125 mph. Estimated price is around $80,000.

Tesla and Fisker are well-linked. Tesla sued car designer Henrik Fisker back in April because Tesla accused Fisker of purposely performing shoddy engineering work for Tesla’s own four-door sedan. The suit claims Fisker purposely did this to delay Tesla’s car, so that he could advance the plans for his own car, now know as the Karma. The case was dropped earlier this month.

Press release after the jump

Karma getting closer to production

Fisker announced today the company raised $65 million for Karma hybrid sedan production. The first-of-its-kind four-door plug-in hybrid premium sports car was unveiled in January at the Detroit Auto Show.

Featuring plug-in hybrid technology known as Q DRIVE, developed by Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide for Fisker Automotive. Initial deliveries of the Karma are expected late in 2009 with annual production projected to reach 15,000 automobiles.

Fisker Karma will be built in Finland

Fisker announced today that the hybrid Karma sedan will be built in Finland by Valmet Automotive, same company that builds high quality specialty cars like the Porsche Boxster and Cayman.

When the Fisker Karma begins rolling off the Valmet assembly line in the fourth quarter of 2009, it will mark the first ever plug-in hybrid 4 door sports sedan to hit the market. With 50 miles of electric range and more than 350 miles of total range, the Fisker Karma with its proprietary Q-DRIVE powertrain developed by Quantum Technologies, will have the potential for a fuel economy of over 100 miles per gallon (MPG) on extended drives.

Boasting a top speed of 125mph and 0-60 acceleration in less than 6 seconds, the Fisker Karma is poised to be the world’s first true luxury plug-in hybrid sports car.

Karma will go on sale in the 4th quarter of 2009 in North America with planned delivery to Europe in 2010.

Fisker received 800 orders for Karma in Europe

Fisker has named its latest importer overseas, where it eventually plans to sell more than half of the units of its debut car, the hybrid plug-in Karma sedan. Nellemann Holding AS will distribute the Karma to Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Shipments of the Karma to Europe are expected to begin in 2009.

"We are extremely pleased to bring Nellemann on board as our latest international distributor," Vic Doolan, Fisker’s director of retail development, said in a statement released Wednesday by the company based in Irvine, Calif.

Fisker set up its first overseas importer, Fisker Italia, this year.

Annual production for Fisker is expected to reach 15,000 cars. Fisker said it has received more than 800 overseas orders for the Karma. The automaker said it plans to reveal its U.S. dealer network by the second quarter of 2009. The Karma is projected to arrive to those dealers by the fourth quarter of 2009.

Fisker Karma still coming in 2009

Fisker announced today that the company is on track for delivery of the Fisker Karma in Q4 2009, and that it will vigorously defend the recent allegations put forth by Tesla. Tesla Motors breached the arbitration agreement in its contract with Fisker by filing these meritless claims in San Mateo County court.

“The lawsuit is nonsense,” said Henrik Fisker, CEO, Fisker Automotive. “Fisker Coachbuild has non-exclusive design contracts as shown by the cars we have designed for a variety of manufacturers.”

Fisker Automotive launched the highly anticipated Fisker Karma, a plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) premium vehicle at the 2008 North American International Auto Show. The revolutionary technology incorporated into the powertrain was developed by Quantum Technologies, a public company, which first proved its capability with the launch of a U.S. military vehicle created for U.S. Army Special Operations in 2003.

Fisker sued by Tesla

Fisker is in trouble! Tesla sued them! Why? Simple: for stealing design ideas. Last year Tesla hired Henrik Fisker, a Danish-born designer who is known for his work on high-end exotic sports cars, to do the body design for a four-seat sedan, code-named White Star.

The Tesla lawsuit contends that Mr. Fisker and his chief operating officer, Bernhard Koehler, doing business under the name Fisker Coachbuild, fraudulently agreed to take on Tesla’s $875,000 design contract to gain access to confidential design information and trade secrets, then announced a competing vehicle. Last fall Mr. Fisker founded Fisker Automotive, which is backed by the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Both the planned Tesla sedan and Mr. Fisker’s recently announced Karma are meant to be hybrid cars using a small gas engine to power a generator that charges a battery, which in turn powers an electric motor. The design, known as a serial hybrid, is thought to greatly extend the range and efficiency of hybrid vehicles.

The Tesla lawsuit states that before doing the design work for Tesla, Mr. Fisker had no experience with hybrid technology. It says that he did substandard work for Tesla, essentially sabotaging it, and then used the revenue from the design contract to develop his company’s car.

Daily Video News: 17th February

Fake engine sounds for Fisker Karma?

For a $80,000 model, the 2009 Firsker Karma hybrid sedan is expected to offer a lot of luxury options. Nothing spooky here, right? Well is time to become a bit more mysteriously: the company decided that there is no need for the car to be silent (?!), instead they have decided to fit the car with speakers inside and out to blast fake engine sounds!!!

According to Henrik Fisker, head of the company, by fake engine sounds it means real, gruff, user-selectable engine sounds. One will apparently sound ’’like something between a Formula One car and a jet plane," which should certainly be enough to keep unwary pedestrians leaping for the sidewalk as you roar towards them.

And the logical explanation for this decision is...?

First Fisker Karma to be delivered in 2009

In a featured report, Henrik Fisker, the head of Fisker Automotive revealed some informations about the future-coming Karma hybrid sedan but also some other interesting things.

The Fisker plug-in electric hybrid Karma sports car costs $80,000 for the U.S. and at least $106,000 for Europe due to the higher taxes and import charges. ’’We have people ordering this car from us even though we’re unknown” said Fisker.

After its debut at the Detroit Motor Show and the second presentation at the Geneva Auto Show, Fisker said that his company is receiving between 50 and 100 orders a week for its plug-in electric hybrid Karma sports car which will begin rolling off the production line in the 4th quarter of 2009.

Fisker Karma to be produced in Detroit?

Fisker unveiled the Karma hybrid four-door sports sedan at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. First production car will be delivered by the end of 2009. The company is considering metro Detroit as it decides where to build the luxury hybrid-sedan

The vehicle is billed to drive 620 miles using the battery pack and onboard gas-powered generator. The first 50 comes from a battery pack that can be charged in a household outlet.

Fisker is one of several automakers in a race to be the first to offer a plug-in hybrid powered by a lithium-ion battery pack. The technology is promising, but risky, as developers test chemical combinations and software to keep the batteries from overheating.