Fisker Automotive has finally been given EPA certification and as a result can start officially selling cars. The U.S.-based builder of luxurious yet green vehicles has received a 52 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) rating for its Karma sedan.

With a 32 mile electric-only range, the Karma’s gasoline only rating is a less impressive 20-mpg. To put this into perspective, the Chevy Volt gets a 93 MPGe rating with a 37-mpg rating on gas only, whereas the Prius Plug-in Hybrid is 87-MPGe rating with a high 49-mpg on gas only.

It’s important to point out, however, that the Karma is also a stunning looking luxury sedan that’s capable of accelerating to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds.

“We are delighted to have EPA certification and fuel economy ratings that verify the Karma’s remarkable green credentials.” said Henrik Fisker, CEO and co-founder of Fisker Automotive.

“As with all electric vehicles, range varies greatly on the conditions of the road and how you drive the car.  We firmly believe that most owners will get up to 50 miles of driving range on a single charge and will use our electric-only mode most of the time they drive the car, thereby running on zero emissions.  Overall, we are very pleased with the results of EPA’s tests. The Karma is a groundbreaking product with a unique powertrain.”

GALLERY: Fisker Karma

For the honor of owning the very first Fisker Karma available in the UK, one lucky bidder paid £140,000 (that’s US$220,680). And yes, while you may think it’s an excessive price, you’ll be happy to hear that the money went to charity.

Selling for over double its market value, the Karma is an extended range electric vehicle and this one was the main attraction at the 2011 Pratham UK Gala. This Karma also comes with a plaque signed by Henrik Fisker, the CEO and Co-Founder of Fisker Automotive.

Developed to be driven anywhere in the world, this EV is the only luxury sedan that meets future fuel consumption and emission requirements. Making it even cooler is the fact that it comes in two drive modes: Stealth and Sport. When you’re in Stealth Mode, the Karma is able to maximize its battery before activating the gasoline engine-driven generator.  In Stealth Mode, you can go from zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 7.9 seconds while reaching a top speed of 95 mph (153 km/h). Switch it to Sport Mode and the gasoline engine lets you go from zero to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds, with a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h).

The money raised by the sale of the Karma goes to Pratham UK, an overseas chapter of the children’s charity founded in Mumbai by UNICEF in 1994, which has helped over 36 million Indian children through its literacy campaign.

Anyone who has played around with an electric radio-control car knows that power comes instantly and as a result acceleration is pretty rapid.

Expand the idea to a full-size vehicle, and the results are certainly thrilling. So far, all fully-electric vehicles have had a drawback, their single-speed gearbox, which tend to neuter the driving experience.

No one has been able to adopt a multi-speed gearbox to work reliably with an electric motor, but Henrik Fisker is working on just that for his Karma plug-in hybrid sedan.

Fisker believes he has a solution, which if it works reliably, would offer Karma drivers “Veyron levels of performance.” That means that the four-door sedan could accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 3-seconds.

No timeline has been given as to when this system will become available, but with such impressive performance figures, we can hardly wait.

[Source: Autocar]

The birth of the Fisker Karma has not been easy. The project has seen delays and customers have seen the price go up over the years, before the car even set foot on any showroom floor.

However, it now seems that the project is finally well on its way to hit the open road, as the first Karma is set to be delivered later this month, to none other than Hollywood A-lister Leonardo DiCaprio.

Other notable names on the order list of this plug-in hybrid super sedan include Al Gore and Colin Powell.

The Karma as many of you know, is powered by two electric motors, which can power this car for about 80-miles on just battery power alone. Once the battery runs out of juice, a GM sourced 2.0-liter, turbo-charged, four-cylinder engine will come into play to take you the remaining distance. The idea is, you get green motoring without any mileage limitations.

Fisker says they have secured about 3000 orders for the Karma, which is being built by Valmet in Finland. Currently only 5 cars a week are rolling out, but that number will jump to 300 per week from November.

Henrik Fisker, the CEO of the company has said, “Our sales are split 50:50 between early-adopting car enthusiasts and total non-car enthusiasts who just like that we are bringing something totally new to market. They recognize the infrastructure isn’t there for electric cars, and see we offer a stylish, stress-free alternative with no range compromises.”

The Karma sedan is priced from around $100,000. Later, a convertible and wagon version will also be offered.

[Source: Autocar]

Fisker Automotive is looking to hire 120 workers at its newly refurbished Delaware plant as the company gears up for its second electric vehicle,  a sedan code-named Project Nina.

Although the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid has still not gone on sale, Fisker is looking to hire assembly line workers as well as engineering staff and electro-mechanical technicians. A further 80 workers will be hired in 2012. Fisker acquired the Wilmington, Delaware plant from General Motors.

“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 to build world-class American electric vehicles with extended range (EVer) in a re-commissioned American plant,” said Fisker COO Bernard Koehler.

With much of the electric car attention being drawn by the first mass-produced Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt, many have ignored the 2011 Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan.

Fisker dealers in Los Angeles previously claimed the first deliveries to paying customers would take place in March or April of this year. But the cars never materialized, and the date was pushed into the third quarter of this year.

The first arrivals will likely take place sometime in July, according to Fisker, for a retail price of $95,000

[Source: Green Car Reports]

Documents filed with the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission revealed that Fisker, maker of the Karma hybrid sports car, is raising an additional $100 million in funding in advance of the company’s first customer deliveries.

While the investors have not been identified, the money comes in addition to Fisker’s $190 million in financing secured already. The Karma has entered production at Valmet’s Finnish plant. The Karma is expected to go on sale later this year, with an initial run of 3,000 cars before entering full production.

[Source: Automotive News]

What’s one simple way to extend range on the next-gen Fisker gasoline-electric powered car? Cut pork from the gasoline-engine side of the equation by using a lighter-weight, three- or four-cylinder engine.

According to information leaked by very knowledgeable sources, Fisker is weighing the feasibility of a dedicated range-extended engine after the current crop of Karma models has been launched.

The idea would be to slash anywhere from 110-160 pounds or so from next-gen models’ curb weight by replacing the 255-horsepower, 2.0-liter GM Ecotec engine, which was originally designed for a gas-only car.

The GM four-cylinder “LNF” turbocharged engine weighs about 360 pounds. Fisker is reportedly looking for a 200- to 250-pound turbo to feed the lithium-ion battery in its future cars.

The 1.2-liter Lotus Engineering three-cylinder is one likely candidate. It is produced with Fagor Ederlan Group in Spain, and is said to be the front-runner in consideration for the next iterations.

Fisker’s present generation cars are being built in Finland, according to a Fisker spokesperson. After Q4 of next year, they will be built in a former GM plant in Delaware.

[Source: Autoblog]

Remember the Fisker Karma? The plug-in hybrid luxury saloon from an upstart California automaker was touted as beating the Volt to market when it debuted over two years ago, a testament to the ability of small companies to get things done when giant automakers flopped their bloated carcasses into Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

But the Volt is now on sale the the Karma? Well, Fisker is proud to announce that after what seems like endless delays, it has now officially entered production, with the stunning, powerful and incredibly fuel efficient $88,000 machine hitting dealers in April.

The Karma, in case you’ve forgotten, makes 402-hp and can run up to 50 miles on pure electric power. And unlike the Chevy Volt, it’s got power seats.

Plug-in automotive upstart Fisker Automotive have had their share of delays, but the company is still working on expanding its product portfolio, even though the first customer cars have still not been delivered.

While many were hoping to have taken delivery of the Karma plug-in hybrid sedan last year, delays have pushed that date to later this year. But they are getting closer, as Henrik Fisker allowed a few European journalists to have a go in a pre-production model earlier this year, and the latest version was sitting pretty at the recent Geneva Motor Show.

Now Henrik’s business partner Barney Koehler has given a little more insight as to what the company is upto. Speaking with Automotive World, he said; “After Karma, there will be another car, which we are launching in Frankfurt this year, and selling six months later. Then there will be Sunset (convertible), one year later. We have one platform for Karma and two derivatives, meaning a total of three body styles. … We want to keep it under wraps. It’s a good-looking car, and our dealers are going crazy about it. They love it, and they love the fact that it will be available so soon.”

Koehler added that this new model will also be built by Valmet in Finland.  He also mentioned that Fisker expects to sell 7000 vehicles this year and about 15000 in 2012. We wish them all the best, and guys, feel free to drop us a test car or two at the AutoGuide office.

[Source: Automotive World]

The Fisker Karma has had more on-and-off engagements than a Hollywood couple. The boutique hybrid was supposed to have debuted months ago, but true to form, it’s still not ready for release.

Now, word has leaked out that the Karma will make its real debut at the Paris Auto Show. We can’t verify the accuracy of the rumors, but the most likely scenario is that there will be another debut, followed by another delay. The Karma can travel about 50 miles on pure electric power before the GM Ecotec motor takes over, making it the very rich man’s Chevrolet Volt.

[Source: Zer Customs]

Fisker Automotive, the company that beat both General Motors and Toyota to market with a plug-in hybrid, has been awarded a $527 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop affordable plug-in hybrids.

The majority of the loan will go towards building a new generation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) that will cost $39,900 after tax credits. The remainder will go towards final development of the Karma PHEV. The Karma uses a technology similar to the Chevy Volt, but is considerably more powerful, allowing the 403hp luxury car to hit 62 mph in six seconds while getting 67 mpg. It can drive on pure electric power for up to 50 miles, with a total extended range of 300 miles.

The loan is part of the Department of Energy’s $25 billion Advanced Technologies Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program.

Fisker is calling its new initiative Project NINA, after the ship belonging to Christopher Columbus, symbolizing a move from an old word to a new world.

“This conditional loan represents a significant step in America’s future,” said Henrik Fisker, CEO. “With it Fisker Automotive can rapidly develop affordable clean cars that satisfy our passion for driving and help restore the U.S. as an auto industry leader.”

Fisker says the project will create or save at least 5,000 jobs among U.S. auto suppliers and in manufacturing the hybrids.

[Source: Yahoo]

Ahead of its German debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show next week Fisker has just released the expected fuel economy numbers for the four-door Karma plug-in hybrid. The 403hp luxury sedan has been rated at an impressive 67 mpg (3.5L/100 km).

While offering fuel-economy better than vehicles like the Toyota Prius, the Karma promises a luxurious and spacious cabin, a sporty drive and a 0-62 mph time of about six seconds.

As a PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) similar to the upcoming Chevy Volt, the Karma will be able to drive on pure electric power for up to 50 miles, with a total extended range of 300 miles. Fisker’s calculations say the car is capable of using just three cents of gasoline per mile, with an average of seven cents per mile a more realistic real-world number.

“The Fisker Karma is the future of driving,” said Henrik Fisker, CEO.  “It proves we can drive environmentally responsible cars without sacrificing the emotional things that made us fall in love with cars in the first place.”

Official release after the jump:

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Fisker Automotive made a bold statement at the Academy Awards by running two 60-second commercials during the preview show to the awards ceremony. The commercials feature the upcoming Fisker Karma, a luxury plug-in hybrid that will be for sale later this year, and ran on the local KTLA station. We have a sample of one of the commercials above.

The production Karma, has been developed with Quantum Technologies and boasts a plug-in Hybrid system that allows drivers to drive 50 miles on a single charge. Once the battery power runs out, the gasoline engine will kick in and the car will operate like a conventional hybrid.

Because of this innovative system, Fisker says that owners who drive less than 50 miles per day will achieve a yearly average fuel economy of 100 mpg.

The Karma will be powered by a GM-sourced 2.4-liter Ecotec engine that has been updated with direct injection technology. The engine alone makes 260hp and when combined with the two electric motors will make 408hp. Fisker claims this is enough for a 0-60 mph time of 5.8 seconds. Top speed is rated at a respectable 125 mph.

The stunning looking (both inside and out) Karma S will be priced at $87,900.

Impressively, Fisker has arranged for the Karma S to be produced at the Valmet Automotive plant, a state-of-the-art facility where the Porsche Boxster and Cayman are manufactured.

For more on the Karma, see the Fisker Automotive website here:

www.fiskerautomotive.com