Karma Sedan

Make
Fisker
Segment
Sedan

Which of these four celebrities doesn't want to impress their friends by driving an all-electric sports sedan: Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Gore, Shaq or Colin Powell? Answer is at the end of the article. Currently being built at the Valmet production plant in Finland, the rear-wheel-drive Fisker Karma gets 403hp and 100mpg. Impressive. A charge time lasting up to 14 hours. Not so impressive. With around 3,000 orders for the Karma, the first is set to ship later this month.

The basic idea behind the car is that you get green drivability without any mileage limitations. It is powered by two electric motors, which can power the car for 80 miles on only battery power. When the battery goes kaput, a 2.0-liter, turbo-charged, four-cylinder engine from General Motors will come into play going the remaining distance. The Karma's Sport Mode reaches a 125mph top speed and can hit 0-60mph in 5.9 seconds with a range of 250 miles. The all-electric Stealth Mode allows a much more modest 95mph top speed and a slower 7.9 seconds 0-60mph. In Stealth Mode, range is limited to only 50 miles.

"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," remarked Henrik Fisker, CEO of Fisker. The Karma is powered by a 20kW/h Lithium-Ion battery composed of Iron Phosphate. The motor is located in the rear of the Karma. The battery pack is front/mid-mounted.

Pricing for the Fisker Karma sedan starts around $100,000. Cabriolet and wagon versions are set to be offered in the next two years. So who doesn't want to impress all their friends with a new Karma? Shaq. The first completed Karma will be shipped to Leo. Apparently Fisker likes his movies more than Al Gore's.