Karma Fisker Karma History

The Fisker Karma was the sole production vehicle of Fisker Automotive (founded 2007 by designer Henrik Fisker), unveiled as a concept at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. It was among the first luxury plug-in-hybrid sedans to reach market: a series-hybrid in which a turbocharged GM Ecotec four-cylinder acted purely as a generator, while dual rear-mounted electric motors drove the rear wheels. A roof-integrated solar panel supplemented cabin climate and battery trickle-charging. EPA-rated electric range was 32 miles; total range was approximately 230 miles.

Production ran at Valmet Automotive's plant in Uusikaupunki, Finland from 2011. Roughly 2,450 Karmas were built and around 1,800 were delivered in North America and Europe through December 2012, at a starting price of approximately $102,000. Output was suspended in late 2012 after battery supplier A123 Systems filed for bankruptcy, and Fisker Automotive itself entered bankruptcy in 2013. China's Wanxiang Group purchased the remaining assets in February 2014 for $149.2 million — tooling, intellectual property, and the Fisker Karma design — forming Karma Automotive and moving production to California.