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2017 Karma Revero starts at $130,000, and more new details about the reborn Fisker

It was not obvious that the eyes of the automotive world would focus on Huntington Beach, California today for the launch (sort of a relaunch) of the Karma Revero. The unlikely rebirth of the Fisker Karma has taken a long while, and you'll be forgiven if you thought that Fisker's bankruptcy filing in 2013 signaled the end of the swoopy plug-in hybrid. Sure, at the time there was talk of the Karma returning some day, but in the era of plug-in vehicle pioneers like Aptera, Bright Automotive, and Phoenix Motorcars fading away in the figurative pages of Chapter 11 filings, who really thought it would happen? Wanxiang, that's who. Based in China, Wanxiang bought the rights to the Fisker assests back in February 2014 for $149.2 million. As we learned today in Huntington Beach, there were only 22 Fisker employees left at that time. A year later, in March 2015, the new Karma Automotive had 203 employees. There were 697 in August 2016 and the plan calls for 967 by the end of 2016. That's just one example of the intentional and dramatic growth that Karma is putting into bringing the Revero to market. Or back to market. Whatever. Here are seven things we learned about the Revero and Karma Automotive. The MSRP will be $130,000. The Fisker Karma started at $103,000, so the Revero's new $130,000 starting price tag is a bit of a jump. Aside from colors, wheels, and calipers, there won't be many options, either. Of course, there's a lot that's new and different about the car, and that costs money, but if you couldn't afford a Fisker, don't bother shopping for a Revero. The gas engine and most of the remains the same, but there have been upgrades. Just like the Fisker, the Revero uses a 260-horsepower, turbocharged four-cylinder engine from General Motors. But on the electrical side, things have gotten better. DC fast-charging at 40 kW is now available and the on-board charger has been upgraded from 3.3 kW to 6.6 kW. The battery is similar (it still uses A123 cells, which isn't a surprise), but the capacity has been increased from 20.4 kWh to 21.4 kWh, which will be good for 50 miles or range. The 0-60 time has been dropped by a second to 5.4 seconds in Sport mode. Nothing has been finalized yet, but apparently Karma expects the EPA fuel efficiency numbers to be roughly the same as before. The infotainment system has been totally redone.

Fisker Project Ronin EV sedan previewed ahead of 2024 launch

Fisker's lineup of to-be-launched cars has grown again. Shortly after it announced an urban EV codenamed PEAR, the company released a sketch that shows an electric sedan called Project Ronin which will be positioned at the top of its range when it (hopefully) enters production in 2024. "The aim is to achieve the world's longest range for a production EV, combined with extremely high levels of performance. Project Ronin will be a showcase for our internal engineering, powertrain, and software capabilities," explained company boss Henrik Fisker in a statement. He stopped short of providing specific figures, but the company explained that Project Ronin — which borrows its name from a 1998 movie famous for its car chases — will be capable of carrying four adults and their luggage. Under development since 2021, the model seemingly takes the form of a low-slung car with four doors, though we're told it will feature "unique doors." The sedan will be built with lightweight materials, it will use active aerodynamic technologies, and it will be powered by a battery that will be integrated into the vehicle structure. Fisker expects to unveil Project Ronin in August 2023, and production is tentatively scheduled to begin in the second half of 2024. If everything goes according to plan, the sedan will become the third member of the Fisker range when it starts rolling off the production line. Fisker's first car should be the Ocean, an electric crossover that should enter production in Austria before the end of 2022. It will be followed by the aforementioned PEAR, which will be built in Ohio with help from Taiwan-based software giant Foxconn starting in 2024. Green Fisker Coupe Electric Future Vehicles

Fisker name dropped in favor of Elux, Karma relaunch pushed back

Fisker is dead, long live Fisker. The luxury plug-in hybrid brand's new owner, Wanxiang, says that it is going to get rid of the name when it relaunches the Karma next year. Oh yeah, and the relaunch is now happening in 2016, not early 2015, as previously planned. According to unnamed "sources familiar with the plan" who spoke to Reuters, Wanxiang is going to change the brand from Fisker to Elux. So, if you've been waiting for news on a revived Fisker Karma, you should change your news alerts setting to ping you when there's new information on the Elux karma. Other details about the new Karma remain undecided, like where it will be built – the Valmet factory in Finland where the Fisker Karma was made will not be used this time around. According to the new Reuters report, though, the new Karma will get a 20-percent price increase, to $135,000. We've also heard that the new car will look a lot like the first Karma, which was designed by Henrik Fisker, who gave the now-bankrupt company its name. Related Video: