2023 Fisker Ocean on 2040-cars

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Fisker and Lutz hot-rod the Karma as V8-powered Destino [w/video]

You didn't think Henrik Fisker was done with the Karma, did you? The father of that stylish hybrid is returning to the design, teaming up with Bob Lutz and Gilbert Villarreal to transform the hybrid into an all-American, eight-cylinder performance sedan. As you may recall, Lutz and Villarreal formed VL Automotive a few years ago with plans to retrofit Fisker Karmas with Corvette V8s, calling the reworked product the VL Destino. Now Henrik Fisker has signed on to the project as head of design and product strategy, with Lutz serving as chairman and Villarreal as CEO under the newly renamed VLF Automotive. The joint plan calls for swapping the hybrid powertrain out of the Karma and replacing it with the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 from the previous Corvette ZR1. In stock form, the LS9 makes 638 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque. The VLF Destino is estimated to hit 60 in 3.9 seconds and top out at around 200 miles per hour. That will make it a world-class performance sedan capable of tangling with the finest imports, but will be retrofitted right here in America – in Auburn Hills, MI, near the Chrysler headquarters where Lutz once occupied the big corner office. VLF Automotive is showing the revised Destino at the Detroit Auto Show alongside the Force 1. We're trying not to get too excited about the prospect of a Fisker sedan with American muscle, as the Destino is slated to retail for $229,000 – which is even more than Aston Martin, for example, gets for the Rapide S or Porsche does for a Panamera Turbo S. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. VLF AUTOMOTIVE IS BORN A New American Luxury Sports Car Company Is Born Auburn Hills, MI January 8, 2016 - VLF Automotive, a new, US-based luxury sports car company, officially launches today through a partnership between legendary automotive designer Henrik Fisker, former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz and entrepreneur and manufacturer Gilbert Villarreal. Fisker is a VLF shareholder and third member of the executive management team alongside Lutz and Villarreal. "It's a circle," Lutz explained. "When Gilbert and I formed VL Automotive in 2012, we wanted to take Henrik's beautifully proportioned design, replace the hybrid gas-electric power train with a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 drivetrain, and create a bespoke four-door luxury car with outstanding performance.

Henrik Fisker reveals the nose of the EMotion EV

UPDATE: Fisker has provided us with additional teaser photos that can be viewed above. An included press release also reiterated the claim that the EMotion will have an electric range of 400 miles, and that the company's UltraCharger system will be able to charge the battery for 100 miles of range in just 9 minutes. Henrik Fisker announced not too long ago that his eponymous car brand would reveal its new EMotion electric sedan this summer, and it seems the reveal is on track. Fisker revealed a new teaser photo on Twitter that shows the sedan. Though he only shared one photo to Twitter, it reveals a number of interesting details and changes compared with the previously shown concept. The first thing you'll likely notice is the "grille." It doesn't appear to actually have any openings, which makes sense considering an electric car doesn't really have a need for a large grille opening. This is probably also why Fisker calls it a "bright piece" rather than a grille. What it does have, according to Fisker, is a LIDAR sensor embedded in the middle. This implies that the EMotion will have some autonomous driving assists, and possibly a Tesla Autopilot-like self-driving mode. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The sensor's placement is also a clever way to integrate the system in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Previous self-driving cars, such as the first-generation autonomous Ford Fusion, had very prominent and ugly sensors mounted to the roof. Up to this point, the best integrated sensors were found on the autonomous Hyundai Ioniq, which hid the sensors in little black rectangles low on the car. They were far more subtle than other implementations, but still looked a bit awkward when spotted. The grille also looks larger than the one on the original concept and it leans back more. The entire front fascia has been revised, too, arguably for the better. The cluttered mess of vents, scoops, angles, creases have given way to a simpler, more rounded nose. The only vents left are those on each end of the front bumper. The car now also features a split headlight design like that of the current Jeep Cherokee and Nissan Juke, in which the lower lamps are the primary illuminators, and the upper lamps are for accent lighting and for use as turn signals. Fisker describes them as "eyes like a panther." We admit there is a distinct resemblance.

DOE Secretary Moniz announces $50 million for cleaner vehicles, sees upside in Fisker loan failure

The Washington Auto Show started today with an announcement by US Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz about a new, $50-million boost for the DOE's work on supporting more fuel-efficient vehicles. The $50 million, Moniz said, will support advanced vehicle technologies. $30 million will go towards making plug-in vehicles better and charging more convenient, including extra support for the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge. The DOE said years ago that it would focus on supporting electric vehicles, but Moniz said that he expects the money announced today to support a wide variety of things. This includes advanced batteries, lightweight materials, advanced combustion and better tires, all in an effort to help the auto industry meet the higher fuel economy ratings of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. The DOE is "very bullish" on EV sales as costs continue to drop - Secretary Moniz Moniz said that the DOE has played a huge role in getting the national average MPG up to the level it is as today, citing the example that nearly every hybrid on the road has some DOE-supported technology in it with better nickel-metal hydride batteries. Also, since Americans bought nearly 100,000 plug-in vehicles last year, about twice as much as in 2012, Moniz said the DOE feels "very bullish seeing this [EV progress] continue in the years ahead" as costs continue to drop. Not every DOE investment has been a hit, of course, but Moniz is Okay with that. The DOE's broader loan program has worked, he said, adding that a portfolio "probably shouldn't be 100 percent successful." The biggest green-car-related DOE loan failure to date has been Fisker Automotive, which will be sold at auction February 12. Moniz said he didn't want to voice support for one side or the other (Wanxiang Group from China and Hybrid Tech Holdings from Hong Kong), but said that no matter who drives away the winner will not be able to just take the technology to Asia. "What's key for us is that the terms of our loan are respected," he said. "We have technology transfer limitations, so no matter who the winner is, we will be looking at both engineering and manufacturing in the United States. ... Even though our note was sold at a discount, we still may achieve our fundamental goals of seeing engineering and manufacturing continuing in our country." Secretary Moniz Announces Nearly $50 Million to Advance High-Tech, Fuel Efficient American Autos WASHINGTON – At the Washington Auto Show today U.S.