The Fisker Karma Electric Car

Tesla has great concern. After losing in the lawsuit brought to court against Fisker; Tesla – the other electric car manufacturing company that will launch a new car next year, sees its market position threatened by the same counter candidate that the court ruled for in the lawsuit. Tesla Roadster, the first electric sports series, will share the public, starting next year, with the Fisker Karma, the U.S. hybrid luxury sedan.

The Fisker Karma will be propelled by a Q-Drive system which offers an autonomy of 80 miles in full electric mode. The existing conventional engine can also be used to load the lithium-ion batteries if they run out – in this situation the consumption can climb up to a value of 2.4 liters per 100 kilometers.

Although an environmentalist to the bone, Fisker Karma does not compromise in terms of performance. The Fisker Karma sprint from 0 to 60 mph is accomplished in 5.8 seconds while the maximum speed that karma can reach is 130 mph.

The secret lies in the fact that the engine is not connected directly to the wheels, but is used to charge the batteries, along with the ceiling which is decorated with solar panels. An electric car is extremely quiet on the street and perhaps the manufacturer has taken care to reduce the maximum noise from internal combustion engine.

To the surprise of many, Henrik Fisker, the company president, announced that the factory’s production capacity by the middle of 2010 has already been sold, the waiting list is quite long. For those who wonder how much the first hybrid luxury sedan costs, Fisker has already established a base price of 87,900 dollars.

In conclusion, because the owners want to enjoy benefits offered by a sports car, they can opt for internal and external speakers that simulate the noise made by a supercar. According to Henrik Fisker, one of the presets can be characterized as “something between a Formula 1 car and a jet plane”

Specs:

0-60 miles/hour = 5.8 seconds (0-100 km/h in 6 seconds)
Top speed (continuous) = 125 miles/hour (200 km/h)
Curb weight = 4,650 lbs
Electric Only Range = 50 miles EPA city cycle
Total Range = Over 300 miles

Exterior Dimensions:

Overall Length = 4987 mm
Overall Width = 1984 mm
Overall Height = 1330 mm
Front Overhang = 913 mm
Rear Overhang = 914 mm
Wheelbase = 3160 mm
Front Track = 1689 mm
Rear Track = 1720 mm

Citations:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisker_Karma