2023 Fisker Ocean One on 2040-cars

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Karma Automotive partners with BMW for powertrains

Now in the process of rising from the ashes of Fisker, the newly renamed Karma Automotive has announced a powertrain supply deal with BMW. Only instead of Karma providing BMW with technologies (as Tesla has for Daimler and Toyota), this deal goes the other way around. It is BMW that will be providing Karma with its powertrain components moving forward. Little in the way of specifics was disclosed regarding precisely what the supply deal will entail. However according to the statement below, it will include "high voltage battery charging systems and a wide range of hybrid and EV systems." BMW has demonstrated its competence in developing and manufacturing such components with vehicles like the i3 and i8, and ActiveHybrid versions of the 3 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series sedans. Karma Automotive is what Chinese component manufacturer Wanxiang renamed the company formerly known as Fisker Automotive once it acquired the rights to the company and the Fisker Karma which it previously produced. The brand name, however, remained the property of Henrik Fisker's coachbuilding operation. The original Fisker Karma was powered by a 2.0-liter turbo four supplied by General Motors, with a lithium-ion battery pack from A123 systems. Karma Automotive Signs Supply Agreement With BMW COSTA MESA, Calif., Nov. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Karma Automotive announced today that BMW has agreed to be a supplier in ensuring their vehicles are built with the highest quality automotive parts. BMW will supply Karma Automotive with their latest powertrain components, including high voltage battery charging systems and a wide range of hybrid and EV systems. Throughout automotive history, BMW has been globally recognized for engineering and manufacturing world-class products. They are a proven technology leader and renowned for conceiving and delivering groundbreaking innovations. Karma Automotive will integrate the first BMW components into its plug-in hybrid flagship vehicle, which will re-launch in 2016. The next generation of vehicles already in development will utilize more of BMW's powertrain technology. "The Wanxiang Group is giving Karma Automotive the opportunity to bring a stunning car back to the market, and the partnership with BMW and their outstanding track record is a great fit for the future," said Karma's CEO Tom Corcoran.

Troubled Fisker slashes price of leftover 2023 models

Fisker announced a round of drastic price cuts in a bid to offload its inventory of unsold 2023-model-year cars and hoist itself out of dire financial straits. The only model in its range, an electric crossover called Ocean, will cost up to $24,000 less beginning on March 29, 2024. The company offers three Ocean trim levels called Extreme, Ultra, and Sport, respectively. Updated pricing is as follows. 2023 Ocean Extreme: $37,499 ($24,000 less than before) 2023 Ocean Ultra: $34,999 ($18,000 less than before) 2023 Ocean Sport: $24,999 ($14,000 less than before) Note that these figures exclude destination and available incentives. Fisker notes that the price cuts only apply to 2023 models, which could deter some buyers. While these are new cars, and they feature the 2024 version of the company's operating system, some rival brands are already rolling out their 2025 models. To sweeten the deal, Fisker points out that the leftover 2023s are equipped with up to $7,000 in options including 22-inch wheels and extra-cost paint colors. Time will tell whether these massive discounts ($24,000 is about the price of a new Hyundai Kona) will allow the brand to trim down excess inventory. The Ocean's launch has been dotted with problems, including loss of power while driving, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a preliminary probe into the crossover due to four complaints "alleging unintended vehicle movement." Meanwhile, all is not well at Fisker. The company laid off about 15% of its staff earlier in March 2024 and warned that it risks running out of money. It later paused production of the Ocean, which is built in Austria by contract manufacturer Magna, because it's sitting on a global inventory of around 4,700 unsold cars worth over $200 million. Its shares were suspended from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as talks with a major carmaker, widely rumored to be Nissan, fell through. Fisker has reportedly hired advisers for a potential bankruptcy.

Karma Automotive's next vehicle won't be the Atlantic, a coupe or a convertible, but it will be muscular

It's been a few months since we've gotten an update on what's happening at Karma Automotive. Since the car is here at the Detroit Auto Show, we stopped by and talked to Karma's TIm Oleston about where the company is and what's coming soon. Last fall, Karma was saying that its 550,000-square-foot factory in Moreno Valley, California would be up and running about now. But the timeline has turned into a more vague "some time in 2017," so we'll just have to wait for new about the start of actual production. Karma has run a few pre-production prototypes through the machines, and took 8-10 of them on a tour for prospective buyers in all the cities where the car will be sold (see the list here). On that tour, interested buyers were able to take the cars on test drives. "We wrung these cars out, in all kinds of weather," Oleston said, and none of them had a problem. We expect a spokesperson to give us the positive side of the story, but we'll take him at his word when he says that Karma engineers were expecting lots of problems, and were instead pleasantly surprised. The car itself remains pretty much the same as we're seen before, with 981 foot-pounds of torque and a top speed of about 128 miles an hour. Twenty-two-inch wheels are standard. The whole thing weighs about 5,400 pounds, so it's not going to win awards at the drag strip, but the more rigid chassis makes the Revero an excellent long-distance tourer, Oleston said, saying that he's spent thousands of miles behind the wheel. Oleston said that while the upcoming factory will be able to make more, if Karma sells about 2,000 Reveros, maybe 1,000 of them in the first year, that'd meet the company's expectations. As for the Karma model that's coming after the Revero, it will not be the Atlantic. Oleston said that the designers are working on "quite a few project," including ideas that take the "feline muscularity" of the Revero and crank it up a notch. Other than that, he would only hint at Karma's next model: "It's not a coupe, it's not a convertible. That's all I should say right now." More information will be coming in a few years, he said. The Revero's infotainment is getting a major overhaul. We knew this, and that it will have Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. You can see more in the video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.