2012 Karma Ecosport on 2040-cars

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Fisker fills in more details on the electric Ocean crossover

With two years go to before Fisker commences deliveries of the all-electric Ocean crossover, we're in for many months of piecemeal updates. The fledgling California automaker has released another smattering of details after debuting the Ocean at this month's Consumer Electronics Show, helping to fill in some functional aspects. At 182.7 inches long, 76 inches wide, and 63.6 inches high, the Fisker is 0.6 inches taller than the Ford Mustang Mach-E, 3.3 inches shorter in overall length, and two inches wider. The dimensions translate into 20 cubic feet of cargo room with the rear seats up and the parcel shelf installed, 25 cu. ft. without the parcel shelf, and 45 cu. ft. with the shelf out and rear seats down. At the other end of the interior, the instrument cluster is 9.8 inches, and the infotainment screen is a 16-inch vertically-oriented unit with haptic feedback. In between, designers did their best to source eco-friendly materials to create a "vegan interior." The Dinamica seating surfaces are derived from old T-shirts, polyester fibers, and recycled plastic, with reinforced rayon backing. The carpet comes from recycled nylon taken from discarded fishing gear. Fisker also says it will recycle rubber waste created during the Ocean's production. The standard wheels come in 20-inch sizes, with 22-inchers on the options sheet. Roof rails and a tow hitch will be options, too, but we'll need to wait another year to find out towing capacity. Turns out the announced entry price for $37,499 is for a base model that doesn't benefit from all-wheel drive, meaning it also doesn't get the more-than-300-horsepower powertrain. When we covered the reveal, we wrote, "Fisker quoted between 250 and 300 miles of driving range depending on driving conditions," so it's possible the base model notches 300 miles while the AWD version comes in closer to 250 miles. The Ocean gets an 80-kWh battery pack. For comparison, there's a 20-mile range delta between RWD and AWD versions of the Mach-E with the Standard Range 75.7-kWh battery pack. A high-performance Ocean will get a larger pack, targeting acceleration to 60 miles per hour in under three seconds, a fair chunk faster than the 3.5-second sprint for the Tesla Model Y Performance. Details on that model won't come until 2021. At some point this year, tire kickers will be able to explore the Ocean in person at Fisker experience centers, and set up test drives through a mobile app due next year.

Karma will build engineering, sales offices near Detroit

Karma Automotive, the successor to the Fisker brand of high-end extended-range plug-in vehicles, appears to be looking to plan its rebirth in the heart (or the lion's den, some would say) of the US vehicle industry. The company, which was acquired out of bankruptcy by China-based Wanxiang in 2014, is planning to build its engineering and sales offices in Troy, Michigan, Automotive News says, citing the Michigan Economic Development Corp. The $3.6-million development will house as many as 150 workers. Karma officially changed its name from Fisker last year, as the Fisker moniker is affiliated with the coach-building company run by Henrik Fisker. The automaker is slated to unveil its new vehicle, called the Revero, by the end of the year. That car is expected to be somewhat similar to the original Karma, including its sleek design, the use of a 2.0-liter engine, and 33-mile all-electric range. No price for the new model, which is expected to remain firmly in the luxury sector, has been disclosed. Karma will receive $450,000 from the Michigan Business Development Program in order to help build the facilities in Troy. Karma also has a 556,000-square-foot vehicle-assembly plant in Moreno Valley, CA, about 65 miles east of Los Angeles. The former Fisker Automotive, which had been based in Orange County, CA, was founded in 2007. The company had plans to make a second model called the Atlantic, and once estimated that it could make 100,000 vehicles a year. FisKer Automotive produced its $100,000-plus vehicles until 2012 before going bankrupt. Wanxiang acquired Fisker for $149.2 million, beating out Hong Kong-based Hybrid Tech Holdings in an extensive bidding war. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2012 Fisker Karma: Second Drive View 30 Photos News Source: Automotive News-sub.req. via Crain's Detroit Business Green Fisker Electric Detroit Michigan karma karma automotive revero

Fisker stops production, warns it may need to seek bankruptcy

Fisker Inc. is pausing production for the next six weeks as the electric-vehicle maker looks to rein in inventory and avoid possibly having to file for bankruptcy. The company didn’t make a required interest payment of about $8.4 million last week on its unsecured convertible notes due in 2026, according to a regulatory filing Monday. Fisker warned it may not be able to meet obligations to service its debt and “could need to seek protection under applicable bankruptcy laws.” Fisker shares fell as much as 14% shortly after the start of regular trading. The stock had plummeted 90% this year through last weekÂ’s close. Fisker also said Monday that it plans to raise as much as $150 million through a financing deal with the holder of its 2025-dated convertible notes. The Los Angeles-based EV maker didnÂ’t identify the existing investor and said the funding will be organized in four tranches and subject to certain conditions. The disclosures expound on the dire state of Fisker, which warned late last month that there was substantial doubt about its ability to stay in business. The company has said it will cut 15% of its workforce after struggling with production issues, software glitches and short-seller criticism. Fisker said it remains in negotiations with an unidentified large automaker about a potential investment and joint development partnership. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that the company was in talks with JapanÂ’s Nissan Motor Co., citing people familiar with the matter. In its statement, Fisker said it has about 4,700 vehicles in inventory worth more than $200 million. ItÂ’s pausing production in Graz, Austria, starting this week to sell down its supply of already-built EVs.   Earnings/Financials Plants/Manufacturing Fisker