Fisker Says Karma will Reach its 2011 $50k Nina to Mid-2013

Just yesterday, Fisker sold the first example of its Karma extended-range hybrid sedan after receiving the necessary EPA certification - though the mpg numbers weren't exactly what the company hoped for…

Despite the delay, Henrik Fisker, CEO and co-founder of the company, insists that the Karma will reach its sales target for 2011, which is a rather optimistic 7,000 units.

“Analysts have to look at it from a different perspective”, he said, dismissing reports that the Karma did not delivered what it promised. “We’ve already defied the analysts a couple of times. We’ve made it. We’re delivering cars.”

However, the not-so-good karma (pun intended) that made Fisker delay the timeline set for the sedan and miss the original targets seems to be affecting its second model line as well.

Fisker has already signed a deal with BMW to get the German firm's new 2.0-liter supercharged TwinPower engines for Project Nina, which is a smaller hybrid sedan. However, the timeline of its launch has already been pushed back a year, from 2012 to mid-2013.

Whereas Valmet in Finland builds the Karma, the Nina will be manufactured in Delaware, USA. And while Fisker currently employs just 120 people, its new ex-GM in Delaware facility will have some 2,500 workers.

The reason is that the Nina will have a much higher production volume of 100,000 cars per year. Whether this is a realistic target remains to be seen. So far, Henrik Fisker has brought his first high-profile hybrid to the market and has begun filling the 3,000 orders the company says it has for the Karma.

Story Sources: Delaware Online

Pratham UK PHOTO GALLERY

The first example of the Fisker Karma to be available for sale in the UK was auctioned off at a charity event held at Camden’s Round House. The highest bidder paid £140,000 ($220,689 US) – or more than double the car’s sticker price. The model in question will get a unique plaque signed by the company’s CEO, Henrik Fisker.

The plaque, or the bragging right to owning the first extended-range electric Karma in the UK, wasn’t the reason for this generosity: all proceeds from the auction, which raised over £870,000 ($1,371,120 US) will go to the Pratham UK organization.

Pratham UK is a chapter of the children’s charity that was founded by UNICEF in 1994 to ensure that all children in India receive an education. The funding will be used for programs like “Read India”, which aims to improve reading and arithmetic skills of children in the country’s rural areas.

PHOTO GALLERY

Karma Fisker Crossover At Frankfurt Motor Show

 Fisker confirmed the development of a new crossover that will combine elements from sporty estate and SUV models, and which will be revealed at the 2011 Frankfurt auto show in September before it allegedly reaches showrooms in 2012.

No other details were given about the crossover, but we reckon it will most likely be shown in pre-production form.


Aside from the Karma and the as of yet unnamed crossover, Fisker is also said to be working on the production version of the 2009 Karma S coupe-convertible (pictured in our gallery) and a smaller and more practical model called the Nina, both of which are due to enter production in 2013.
In addition, Fisker said that the company has plans for a four-wheel drive version of the Karma as well as a new two-speed transmission designed to improve fuel economy and offer a higher top speed.

Fisker Karma Plug-In Hybrid

The curvy-shaped sedan features an aluminum frame and body panels with power coming a hybrid drivetrain that includes two 150kW electric motors (403HP in total) mounted at the rear, a 260HP 2.0-liter turbo gasoline engine located at the front and a 20 kW lithium-ion battery placed longitudinally below the floorpan. The system is said to work similar to the one found on the Chevy Volt with the electric motors driving the wheels and the gasoline engine turning a 175 kW generator that feeds the electric motors when the battery is out of juice.

According to Fisker, in electric-only mode the Karma reaches a top speed of 95 mph (153 km/h) and covers the 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 7.9 seconds, while in hybrid Sport mode these figures improve to 5.9 seconds and 125 mph (200 km/h) respectively.

The combined driving range is estimated at 300 miles (483 km) while average consumption is rated at 100 mpg (2.4 liters/100 km). Fisker's future plans include the launch of an entry-level $39,000 (€27,500) sedan next year. The car will be built in a former GM plant in Delaware, with the help of $529 million (€373 million) loans received in 2010 from the U.S. Energy Department.