Fisker Press Release

Anticipation and excitement has grown at Fisker Automotive and with the general public wanting to see the production Karma. Today, Fisker Automotive unveiled the first factory built luxury plug-in Karma at the Paris Motor Show.

“This vehicle represents our goal of bringing an eco-friendly vehicle founded on the principals of ‘Pure Driving Passion’ to consumers around the world,” said CEO Henrik Fisker.

The message has always been clear – designing a beautiful vehicle utilizing innovative technology provides freedom to the driver, versus containment – fusing green technology with energy independence. It also involves an unwavering commitment to purity. When sourcing environmentally conscious and sustainable materials, if Fisker designers and engineers felt the existing technologies did not meet their exacting standards, they developed new, superior approaches that have resulted in several proprietary designs.

One of these unique technologies is the world’s largest continuous solar panel roof for an automobile. This beautiful, sculptural form captures the power of the sun to help power the Karma.


The pursuit of pure design also led Fisker to create one of the most sustainable and accountable interiors in automotive history.

To process the leather for the Karma’s interior a 100% sustainable manufacturing strategy is used, resulting in one of the highest yields in the industry. This process is conducted at the world’s first energy self-sufficient, closed loop leather manufacturing plant where both gas and electricity are generated on-site from by-products of the leather making process.

The Karma’s interior wood wings and accents are also unique and sustainable – sourced from certified fallen, sunken and rescued wood to create a luxurious sensory experience inspired by nature.

Fisker Automotive’s commitment to purity throughout the Karma reflects its dedication to introducing sustainability and accountability to luxury automotive design – Responsible Luxury.

To date, Fisker Automotive has nearly 70 patents and patents pending for the Karma – a very good reason to have kept the Karma’s technical detail under wraps.

From Concept to Reality, Unchanged

Designed by Fisker Automotive co-founder, CEO and executive design director Henrik Fisker, the four-door, four-passenger Karma combines world-class style with better efficiency and lower emissions than today’s best hybrids to deliver an uncompromised, premium vehicle that sets the tone for the future of driving. Mr. Fisker is responsible for designing some of the most desirable and iconic luxury sports cars of the modern era, including the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Aston Martin DB9, BMW Z8 and Artega GT.

With exotic car looks, sports car performance, an achievable annual average economy of 2.4L/100 km (100 mpg) and emissions of just 83g/km, the 300 kW (403 hp/408 PS) Fisker Karma is the only truly responsible alternative to traditionally powered luxury cars.

True to Fisker’s goal of bringing the Karma concept to reality in its original form, the production car retains, and even adds to, all of the original concept’s elegant design, dramatic proportion and unique features.

“Too often concept cars are just that – concepts,” Henrik Fisker said. “As car enthusiasts we wanted to see all that excitement and imagination make it to production. It’s what keeps us in love with cars. I feel our team has succeeded in every way.”

Most notable is the Karma’s athletic appearance. At 4.99 meters (196.7 in) long, 1.98 meters (78.1 in) wide and just 1.33 meters (52.4 in) high, the Karma’s final dimensions remain virtually the same as the concept’s.

A long hood — accentuated by a large dash-to-axle ratio — and short deck give the Karma a timeless silhouette. Its expansive (3.16 m/124.4 in) wheelbase, short (913/923 mm – 35.9/36.3 in f/r) overhangs and wide (1.69/1.70 m – 66.6/67.0 in f/r) track reinforce the Karma’s performance orientation even when standing still.

Also retained from the concept are the 22-inch aluminum-alloy ‘Circuit Blade’ wheels and the world’s largest spherically curved, monolithic solar roof panel, which communicate the car’s advanced technology and environmental purpose. The Fisker Karma is the first car to be equipped with 22-inch wheels as standard equipment.

In addition, the production Karma keeps the concept’s complex parting lines around front and rear fascias, along with the industry’s tightest tire-to-wheel arch relationship. These details enhance the Karma’s overall design and set it further apart from its competitors.

The most significant visible exterior change is the addition of B-pillars, which increase the Karma’s structural rigidity and help it meet global crash protection requirements.

Unique to the segment is the Karma’s absence of external window frames between rear door-glass panes, which improves aesthetics and reduces wind noise.

While the Karma Command Center™ — the industry’s first and, at 25 cm (10.2 in), largest haptic feedback touch screen – elegantly consolidates into a single location controls for automatic dual-zone climate, audio/infotainment, phone, navigation and vehicle systems.

Like the concept, the production Karma has a four-seat cockpit with a large center console running from the dashboard to the rear seatback, which houses the rechargeable Lithium ion battery.

This console incorporates intuitive gear selector buttons in place of the original shifter, as well as electric window controls, seat heater switches, storage and four cup holders.

Advanced Technology Plug-in Hybrid Power

Under the skin, Fisker’s exclusive Q-Drive® plug-in hybrid electric powertrain technology combines world class performance with industry-leading economy and the lowest emissions.

With 300 kW of power and more than 1,300 Nm (981 lb-ft) of torque at zero rpm the electrically-driven Fisker Karma can quickly reach Autobahn speeds, yet achieve better annual average fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions than nearly any other production car.

Karma drivers will not be concerned about Range Anxiety. By leveraging the world’s existing gasoline infrastructure, the Fisker Karma has a total range of 480 km (300 mi).

Eighty kilometers (50 mi) are electric-only and tailpipe-emission free when powered only by its 20 kWh Lithium ion battery, which can be recharged in as little as six hours on standard 240-volt current.

When the battery is depleted, or when the driver engages Sport mode, the Karma’s 2.0L, turbocharged four-cylinder Ecotec® gas engine automatically turns a 175 kW generator that sends electricity to two 150 kW (201.5 hp/204 PS) electric traction motors mounted directly to the rear differential.

This single speed gearbox ensures a smooth, constant delivery of power to the wheels without hesitation, all the way to the Karma’s top speed of 200 kmh (125 mph).

World Class Manufacturing

While Fisker Automotive is globally headquartered in Southern California, the Karma will be built by Valmet Automotive at its state-of-the-art flexible assembly plant in Finland.

Fisker partnered with Valmet because the 41-year-old company was able to meet Fisker’s strict requirements of cost-effectively building 15,000 high quality, advanced technology vehicles per year for international markets.

Since 1969 Valmet has built more than 1.1 million vehicles for demanding customers all over the world, and currently builds Porsche Boxster and Porsche Cayman sports cars for Porsche AG.

The Fisker Karma is the world’s first premium plug in hybrid and the embodiment of the design-driven company’s firm belief that environmentally conscious cars need not sacrifice passion, style or performance.

A leaked email from a Fisker dealer this week reveals the new final pricing structure for the Karma sedan.

EcoStandard: $95,900
EcoSport: $103,900
EcoChic: $108,900
Destination fee is $950.

Pricing is before the $7,500 government rebate.

Tri-Tone Leather is a $2,200 fee.
Diamond Dust Paint is a $3,000 fee.
Special Paint is a $3,000 fee.


In 2008, pricing was originally estimated to be around $80,000. This estimate was then more clearly defined in 2009 as an MSRP of $87,900 and has now increased another $8,000 to the final pricing of $95,900 for the EcoStandard model.

While the increased pricing may force some deposit holders to reconsider, it should be noted that the Karma will arrive with more standard feature content than originally planned.

The Karma’s solar roof, the largest continuous and most highly curved solar roof in a passenger car, was planned to be a $5,000 option. The roof is now standard.

With an MSRP of $95,900 the Karma is within 10% of the originally announced MSRP of $87,900 announced in 2009 – an incremental change over the course of two years.

At $88,400 after federal tax incentives, the Karma is within $500 of its originally announced MSRP of $87,900. Local incentives offer additional savings.

The Karma starts $1,400 less than a Porsche Panamera S (both 400hp) after $7500 federal tax incentives are applied. Local incentives offer additional savings. Additionally, the Karma is significantly more efficient and will be much more exclusive.

The Karma starts $19,500 less than a similarly-equipped Tesla Roadster — $20,500 less when you include destination charges.

What is it?

The Fisker Karma is a luxurious, Mercedes CLS-sized petrol-electric saloon, engineered in Los Angeles by a top-class engineering and design team assembled by former Aston Martin design boss, Henrik Fisker. Now in production alongside the Porsche Boxster at Valmet, in Finland, the car is priced at $85,000 before taxes in the US, which should translate to a shade under Ł100,000 of our money, taxes paid.

The Karma has a bespoke aluminium spaceframe chassis with a rugged longitudinal spine that carries a mid-mounted battery-pack, big enough to propel this two-tonne machine from 0-60 mph in less than eight seconds, under battery power only, and on to a 95mph top speed. With the nose mounted 2.0 litre, 260bhp turbo four driving an on-board generator, the 0-60 sprint is slashed to 5.9 seconds, while the top speed climbs to 125 mph. Propulsion is provided by rear-mounted two 201.5 bhp electric motors, one forward and one aft of the single-speed limited slip diff.

The cabin is snug rather than roomy for four (a result of the body’s ultra-low dimensions and the fact that it runs 22-inch wheels) but its interior is one of the best features. Bespoke instrumentation and switchgear approach the industry’s best, and most ancillary functions (audio, navigation, telephone and more) are controlled from a unique-to-Fisker touch screen
What’s it like?

It’s certainly not like your usual German luxury ‘airport’ limo, all of which seem much more conventional and less sporty, though Fisker people do admit that in some respects (not rear packaging) the Porsche Panamera was their benchmark. You sit very low in the car, with a high centre console down the middle.

Driving is easy because engineers have tried hard to minimise the number of controls. You just press a start button, select D (or R) from a little PRNDL pyramid on the top of the console, decide which of two driving modes you want (electric only labelled Stealth, or engine-assist labelled Sport) and the car creeps forward, just as it does with an ordinary automatic. There’s a synthesised external noise, which Fisker engineers call Tron, to warn pedestrians that the car is running, but inside you hear very little the car moves forward quietly and without apparent effort.

Even on battery-only mode the car feels fast: with the engine on (it sounds a little pedestrian, but is admirably remote) the car is extremely swift. The Karma has excellent electro-hydraulic steering and an understeer-free chassis that seems to thrive on tight cornering. The car is a joy to drive on a tight handling course, and you can’t say that for every five-metre, two-tonne luxury saloons.

The ride isn’t luxurious in the soft and supple sense, but the car feels quiet and controlled over bumps, and tyre noise is well insulated. Though 22-inch wheels are standard, engineers have insisted on 35-series tyres, which give better road insulation than many of today’s “ribbon” tyre sizes. Overall, the Karma is an exciting, rewarding but entirely predictable car.
Should I buy one?

Well, on a Porsche Panamera scale it could be quite a risk, because the Fisker Karma has no pedigree and nobody can predict practical ownership stuff like residual values and major repair costs.

But the Karma has several vital factors in its favour, not least its stop-the-traffic looks, its thorough engineering, its great driving characteristics and a price that, while high, doesn’t look unrealistic against the competition. If the car makes a good start — and the 3000 orders already held seem to promise as much — it could easily become the next must-have automobile among Hollywood’s glitterati. Then, the sky’s the limit.
Steve Cropley

Fisker Karma

Price: Ł95,000 (est); 0-62mph: 5.9sec; Top speed: 125mph; Economy: 80mpg (est); CO2: 83g/km (est); Kerb weight: 2000kg (est) Engine: Dual electric motors, turbo 2.0-litre petrol engine; Power: 663bhp (combined) Torque: 981lb ft (combined); Gearbox: Single ratio