Fisker Starts Limited Production of Karma Plug-in Hybrid
By AutoObserver Staff March 23, 2011Full production of 15,000 units annually is slated to begin in October.
Fisker Automotive has started limited production of its Karma plug-in hybrid electric sports tourer and expects the first of the vehicles to reach dealerships in the U.S. and Europe simultaneously by the end of April or beginning of May as demonstrator models, with customer deliveries to begin in both markets two months later, company spokesman Roger Ormisher told Green Car Advisor in an exclusive interview today.
The Irvine, Calif.-based automaker has started producing its first model -- the 2012 Karma, with a base price of $96,850 including destination fees -- at Finnish assembler Valmet Automotive and will ship two or three of the models to each of its 45 outlets in the U.S. and an equal number of importers in Europe as demonstration vehicles, Ormisher said.
"A lot of our deposit-holders have been waiting 2 years or more for their cars. We really want to give them firsthand experience with what the Fisker Karma is all about before they finalize their orders and pick trim and color and everything else," Ormisher said in explaining why the first 80 to 120 of the sleek 403-horsepower four-doors with a staggering 981 pound-feet of torque will be going to retailers instead of customers.
The company has taken $5,000 deposits from about 3,000 would-be buyers worldwide, and for many the model's appearance in a showroom will be the time many of those buyers will have seen the highly anticipated car "in the flesh" and been given the chance to drive one, Ormisher said by phone.
As with virtually all new-model launches, production will begin slowly, with close attention to detail as the initial market-ready Karmas are assembled, Ormisher said, adding that the company expects to enter full production of 15,000 units annually in October.
Fisker, like electric-vehicle maker Tesla Motors with its Roadster and Audi with its all-electric e-tron, is banking on potential buyers willing to fork over six figures or so for high-quality electric-drive vehicles that provide the performance of a gasoline-guzzling sports car without guzzling gas.
Unlike the pure-electric Roadster and e-tron, the Karma is a gas-electric hybrid, capable of covering about 50 miles using only electricity following a full charge. 
After that, an onboard gasoline-fueled General Motors engine engages to produce juice for the lithium-ion battery pack. With electricity supplied by the generator, the vehicle can travel 300 more miles before refueling (via an electric outlet or a gas pump) is required.
Fisker has said the Karma is capable of 100 miles per gallon. In truth, the model could be driven without ever requiring a drop of fossil fuel; it all depends on individual driving habits and usage.
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