Fisker announced that it has partnered with Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide to create a new line of plug-in hybrid vehicles. The vehicles will be sold under the Fisker brand and will debut on January 13th at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Fisker's founder, Henrik Fisker, designed the Aston Martin DB9 and BMW Z8.

Normally known for building rebodied Mercedes-Benz and BMW cars, Fisker say the new "eco-chic" vehicles will not be built on an existing platform. Fisker hopes to sell 15,000 vehicles at about $100,000 a piece. Fisker declined to reveal any more details about the vehicles–including the body-style–but Quantum just purchased a stake in Advanced Lithium Power, indicating that the hybrids might use lithium-ion batteries.

Fisker currently makes the Tramonto–a restyled Mercedes-Benz SL55 coupe–and the Latigo–a rebodied BMW 6-series coupe. So far the company has delivered 14 Tramontos and is about to deliver its first Latigo, well short of the 150 unit target for each model.

The first image of the 100mpg plug-in hybrid that former BMW and Aston Martin designer Henrik Fisker is planning for production in 2009 has been released ahead of the car’s Detroit show debut in January 2008.

Described as “being the height of a Porsche 911, but with the internal space to fit four adults and their luggage”, the new car is a ground-up new design, according to Fisker Automotive.

The swooping, low roof-line and sculpted front wings definitely give Fisker’s design the look of a four-door supercar, with echoes of the Aston Martin Rapide.

But it will need brilliant project management, design and engineering skills to get the production model anywhere near the quality promised in this sketch.

Even more ambitiously, the design gives a glimpse of the look that should lead to a “range of beautiful, exciting-looking environmental-friendly cars”, says the company.

Key performance targets of the sporty four-seater are a 50-mile range on pure electric power and an overall range of 620 miles when the car is used in hybrid mode.

Details of the new hybrid’s chassis and powertrain are still secret, although both petrol and diesel hybrids will be offered.

The chassis? Fisker Automotive claims that “all cars will have a completely new platform developed from the ground-up”.

That will clearly be very expensive and a major technical challenge. For example, getting regulatory approval in crash and emissions tests is enough work to keep teams of dozens of engineers busy at the world’s biggest car-makers for several years.

Developing a reliable and durable electrical system and air conditioning/heating system will be another huge challenge, on top of the basic need to get the hybrid powerrtain operating efficiently.

Even such basic production engineering processes as making doors fit and lock reliably is time-consuming and expensive – it’s something that Britain’s legion of specialist sports car makers often try to avoid.

Yet these details will have to be attended to, because Fisker’s car won’t be cheap at $80,000 (£40,000 at current exchange rates).

Despite such practical realities, Fisker Automotive says the four-seat hybrid will go on sale in “the fourth quarter of 2009” – that’s just two years away.

Most major car-makers expect to take that sort of time to get a new model to production, often after three to five years of concept engineering.

Production is then planned to ramp-up to 15,000 a year by 2011.

A second line, of presumably cheaper models, is planned for 2014, the volume then predicted at an astonishing 100,000 per year.

Fisker Automotive is a new company set-up as a joint venture by Fisker Coachworks and Quantum Technologies to get the hybrid into production.

The ambitious project has just received “initial financing” by Palo Alto Investors, a Californian fund, according to a release from Fisker Automotive.

IRVINE, Calif. Sept.5, 2007: Quantum Technologies and Fisker Coachbuild, LLC announce the launch of a joint venture in Fisker Automotive, Inc. - a green American premium car company. Fisker Automotive will offer a range of environmentally friendly premium cars – with the first production car to make its Worldwide North American debut at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show in January. Initial production is anticipated to be 15,000 vehicles annually with pricing to start under $100,000.

Design and technology development are already underway for the first production car. All models will feature cutting-edge plug-in hybrid technology penned as Quantum Drive, developed by Quantum Technologies exclusively for Fisker Automotive. This all-new plug–in Quantum Drive chassis layout will allow Fisker to design innovative luxury cars with uncompromised proportions.

The Fisker name has attracted and attained worldwide brand recognition, thanks to years of first-class automotive designs. Over his 18 years in the car design business, Henrik Fisker has left his thumbprint on some of the most highly regarded automobiles. His creations range from the BMW Z8, Aston Martin DB9 & V8 Vantage to his most recent creations – the Tramonto and Latigo CS, designed under the Fisker Coachbuild nameplate. Fisker Automotive will retain the orange and blue logo originated at Fisker Coachbuild.

“The troubled environment is captivating the attention of the world. Developing a premium luxury green car which also delivers attractive design can make a difference. We are extremely excited to join our automotive design expertise with the plug-in hybrid technology of Quantum in Quantum Drive. This breakthrough chassis development will allow us to deliver a design with dramatic proportions – one which will carry the Fisker badge,” expressed Henrik Fisker, CEO of Fisker Automotive, Inc. “We want people to drive beautiful fast cars that make environmental sense – cars that are eco-chic and will have less of an impact on global warming.”

Quantum Technologies has a long history of advancing technology. Benefits in developing an entirely new, from-the-ground-up design for a plug-in hybrid vehicle include optimized fuel efficiency and performance, unchanged gas station infrastructure, home based battery recharging with any 110-volt outlet at a fraction of the cost. A cleaner and a quieter car for local travel…all with the most advanced comforts that are anticipated with a luxury car.

“Our goal here is to deliver the advancement that Quantum Technologies has made in the area of plug-in hybrid technology. By combining our efforts with the renowned design talent of Henrik Fisker, we can produce a car that makes a difference to the environment – without sacrificing the luxury that accompanies the finest automobiles,” stated Alan Niedzwiecki, CEO Quantum Technologies.

Fisker Automotive is a privately owned car company, operated by executive management teams of Fisker Coachbuild, LLC and Quantum Technologies with Henrik Fisker as the CEO of Fisker Automotive. Fisker Coachbuild, LLC will be the exclusive design house for Fisker Automotive through the entire range of product development.

Fisker Coachbuild today officially took the wraps off its forthcoming hybrid sedan called the Karma. Developed in cooperation with Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies, the project is a first for the independent automaker.

Most hybrids either look identical to their gasoline counterparts (think Chevy Tahoe) or they have somewhat quirky designs that appeal to a specific demographic (think Toyota Prius). But the Karma is different — it was designed from the ground up as a sexy performance sedan. It should come as no surprise that Fisker's founder, Henrik Fisker, designed the Aston Martin DB9 and BMW Z8.

Normally known for building rebodied Mercedes-Benz and BMW cars, Fisker says the new "eco-chic" vehicles will not be built on an existing platform, but rather a brand new architecture. Fisker hopes to sell 15,000 vehicles at $80,000 to $100,000 apiece.

The Q-DRIVE powertrain technology uses lithium-ion batteries sourced from Advanced Lithium Power. The car can travel 50 miles on battery power alone, before the four-cylinder engine kicks in to turn the generator and thus make more electricity.

An optional sport mode allows the gas engine and electric motors to operate at the same time, increasing performance.

Specific horsepower figures have not been disclosed, but Fisker claims the car is powerful enough to hit 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and achieve a top speed of 125 mph.

The car is expected to get 100 miles to the gallon and deliver a top range of 620 miles on a single tank. Fisker declined to reveal any more details about the vehicles.

Fisker currently makes the Tramonto–a restyled Mercedes-Benz SL55 coupe–and the Latigo–a rebodied BMW 6-series coupe. So far the company has delivered 14 Tramontos and is about to deliver its first Latigo, well short of the 150 unit target for each model.

January30


Fisker is considering building its Karma plug-in hybrid in metro Detroit, a new report finds. The Karma — which Fisker is hoping will be the first plug-in hybrid to market that uses lithium-ion batteries — was introduce earlier this month in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show.

According to Vic Doolan, Fisker's director of retail development, metro Detroit could be the ideal location to produce the Karma because of its available capacity, experienced workforce and proximity to suppliers.

While no location has been selected yet, Doolan told the Detroit Free Press that a Michigan production facility "does make a lot of sense."

Fisker — which is based out of Orange County, California — hopes to begin deliveries of its $80,000 Karma in the fourth quarter of 2009.

A sedan infinitely compatiable with conversion to two doors, it's no surprise that Fisker are to introduce convertible and assumedly coupe variants of their Detroit-debuted Karma hybrid. Unveiling the first 'top secret' photo of the new two-door project at the J.D. Power Roundtable in San Francisco, Henrik Fisker announced that the new model, at present an unnamed four-seater two-door convertible, would join the Karma from late 2009.

The Convertible model will be based on the Karma platform, utilising its lithium-ion plug-in hybrid setup. It is likely to pre-empt a two-door coupe version following market penetration of both sedan and convertible variants. Here's to hoping it's called the Ch'i.

The Karma sedan was unveiled earlier this year in Detroit, ushering in a four-door luxury sedan that brought eco-friendliness to a new plain. It features a solar panel sunroof, regenerative braking and a 50 mile range, while particular attention has been paid to driving dynamics by way of weight distribution, lightweight materials and a powertrain capable of beyond 125 mph.

Fisker has just sent us a few more shots of the production-ready Karma plug-in so that we can get a better look at the car's newly revised face. The front intake has been mildly revised in order to let the GM-sourced 260-horsepower Ecotec engine breath a bit more fresh air. It's a subtle change, but we like the results and think that it makes a big difference to the overall look of the car. We also get a good look at those unique exhaust ports that emit the turbocharged mill's spent gases just aft of the front wheels.

Lastly, we have an interesting view beneath the slinky bodywork, which shows off the aluminum space frame chassis that holds the car together. We presume that the pronounced center tunnel will house the lithium-ion battery pack. The chassis also shows the new flush B-pillars that were absent on the concept and are necessary to meet future safety requirements. Fisker plans to show the Karma, including its never-before-seen interior, at the Detroit Auto Show in January. We'll be there to deliver the goods in person.

Fisker Automotive, the new American manufacturer of premium green automobiles, unveiled the Fisker Karma S concept at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) today. The four-seat, plug-in hybrid hardtop convertible furthers the company's belief that driving style and performance need not be compromised for environmental friendliness.

The open-air Fisker Karma S concept shares its aluminum spaceframe architecture and clean Q-DRIVE® powertrain with the Fisker Karma sedan. Designed and engineered by Quantum Technologies exclusively for Fisker Automotive, Q-DRIVE® provides 50 emission-free miles on a single charge to its lithium-ion battery pack, and up to 403hp from two electric motors. The power retractable hard top, a first for Fisker, glides neatly into the trunk and a unique design language sets the Karma S concept apart.

"Our objective is to create a singular design language and heritage around our state-of-the-art Q-DRIVE® powertrain," said Fisker Automotive, Inc. CEO Henrik Fisker. "The Karma S is an extension of the Fisker Automotive product range of eco-conscious automobiles and sets the tone for our future."

One the nation's most prominent electric-car start-ups, Fisker Automotive, is about to start hiring for its plant in Wilmington, Del.


Fisker plans to hire for 120 positions this year, a mix of engineers, electro-mechanical technicians and early teams of production workers for the former Chrysler plant. They will be the first wave of workers preparing for the launch of its second line of production vehicles, code-named Project Nina, at the end of 2012. Sales will begin in 2013.

Fisker plans to start delivering its first car, a hybrid, this year. That's it, the Karma, in the photo above. It is being made at a contract builder in Finland.

Forty electro-mechanical technicians will be hired during July and August, a further 80 production employees will be added starting in October, the company said.

"This is an exciting time for Fisker. As we bring the Fisker Karma sedan to market and start delivering to customers, we are simultaneously starting to employ a world-class American workforce," says Bernhard Koehler, Fisker Automotive's chief operating officer.

In addition to Delaware, Fisker has increased staff at its Anaheim, Calif., headquarters. By June, the staff will number about 300 there. With contractors, that number doubles.

Electric mini-car maker Think Global -- which was to start building and selling cars in the U.S. this year -- filed for bankruptcy today in its home market of Norway after attempts to get new investments to keep the company afloat failed, reports Automotive News Europe.

U.S. sales were to begin this year. "We needed some additional funding and although we had interested investors they were not able to come to table quickly enough," Think spokesman James Andrews told ANE. He said the options for Think are liquidation or sale of the company to a new investor.

Think planned to begin selling its tiny Think City EV in the U.S. this year, building the cars at a new factory it had announced with much fanfare in Elkhart, Ind. It said last fall that the tiny four-seater would sell here for about $34,000 before any tax incentives, though an official price had not been set.

Think had formed a joint venture for U.S. operations that included Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins. It also had sought money from the Department of Energy's loan fund for fuel-efficient vehicles and technologies for the Elkhart plant.

U.S.-based advanced battery maker Ener1, which holds a one-third stake in Think Global, last month took a charge against its earnings for the stake and disclosed worries about the carmaker's future.

Fisker, the startup that received a $529 million federal loan to make a plug-in extended-range electric car, has missed early manufacturing goals and has gradually pushed back plans for U.S. production of its next model by a year, the Washington Post reports.

Fisker just pushed back introduction of the model for which it received the bulk of a loan by a year to 2013. Also this week, Fisker found out that its first model, the $96,000 Karma made in Finland, which is two years late in reaching U.S. markets, won't go 50 miles on electricity alone as promised, the Post says.

The Energy Department yesterday clarified that that $169 million of the loan went to develop the Karma, shown in the photo above, even though it isn't being produced in the U.S.

The Energy Department, which made the loan, sounds like it's going to cut Fisker some slack. Says the Post: "It has eased expectations after conditionally approving the loan to Fisker and has made allowances for scaling back projections in the final loan agreement. But the agency declined to make public those adjusted terms, including projected car sales volume or milestones the company must meet in connection with its $529 million loan."