Fisker

2009 was a tough year for the auto industry to say the least. Not only did we witness massive government bailouts, epic bankruptcies and a precipitous plummet in sales, but over 1,500 dealerships shuttered their doors. When I was back in my hometown of Cleveland, OH over the holidays, I notice at least 6 large dealerships throughout the city that had closed up shop, with all of the remaining ones seemingly relegated to the ubiquitous "Auto Mile" of car lots mostly owned by large conglomerates. A sad state indeed.

Current estimates peg the total number of new cars purchased last year at just around 10.5 million, which is about 7 million shy of the high reached in 2000 and 2 million below sales in China (yes, we're no longer numero uno). The Cars Allowance Rebate System (CARS) program, aka Cash for Clunkers, dolled out $2.8 billion in $3,500 - $4,500 rebates and supposedly resulted in 700,000 new car sales.  According to several leading analysts, this was just enough to keep the industry on life support while everyone scrambled to figure out how to infuse more cash into daily operations. Even though many hailed the program as a success, it had its detractors as well, and for good reason. Edmunds concluded that really only an additional 125,000 cars were sold that wouldn't have sold otherwise, resulting in a taxpayer burden of $24,000 per vehicle.

Fisker unveiled their hybrid hardtop convertible concept this week at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Not yet a household name, but gaining some serious notoriety, the company is an up-and-coming manufacturer of green sports cars. The Fisker Karma S concept is a four-seater with serious flair.

The convertible shares many similarities with the standard Karma but deletes two doors and provides a drop-top. There is a misconception that Fisker makes full-on electric cars and is a Tesla wanna-be but this is just not true. The car has it's own niche of sorts with a mix of a 2.0-liter engine, generator and electric motors. The 4-cylinder GM EcoTec engine is turbocharged and good for 260 hp. But it's the hybrid technology that sets it apart.

The outlook for performance electric vehicles has been quite subdued until the recent unveiling of the concept 2010 Fisker Karma S. Visually a blend between a Lotus Elise and a Aston Martin DB9; the four-seat plug-in hybrid retractable hardtop is a first for the new American manufacture, noting that aesthetic style and graceful performance need not be compromised for environmental friendliness. Fisker’s efficient “Q-DRIVE®” power train technology provides the Karma with 50 miles of emissions-free driving on a single charge from a pack of lithium-ion batteries. It is likely that if consumers follow this daily routine, they will only need to visit a gas station once or twice a year.

The Fisker Karma had been highly anticipated as the market's first hybrid plugin luxury sports sedan. They recently announced that Valmet Automotive has been selected to manufacturer their initial product offering. Fisker Automative is a US based company whose main focus is green car development, specifically those using electric power.

The Karma is now expected to be available in the 4th quarter of 2009. With a max range of 350 miles, 50 via electric power alone, the Karma will ultimately deliver up to 100 mpg. Being a hybrid, it's top speed will be limited to 125 mpg but it will have sports car zip with 0 to 60 times below 6 seconds.

Source: Fisker