Fisker Kharma
If you want a sporty performance vehicle but are worried the poor gas mileage will give you bad kharma, Fisker Automotive may have just the answer.
On Monday the California start-up unveiled the Fisker Kharma, which they are billing as the first ever luxury four-door plug-in hybrid. It is being shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
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The premium sports sedan, which can go 50 miles on a battery charge and has a small gasoline engine to charge the batteries if further traveling is needed, has a starting price of $80,000. Fisker expects to begin shipping the Kharma by the fourth quarter of 2009 and says the first 99 cars produced will be individually numbered and signed by Fisker CEO Henrik Fisker.
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has put more than $10 million of venture funding in the company and Kleiner Managing Partner and former Oracle president Ray Lane will sit on the board of directors according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. For former Vice President Al Gore it was one of the first projects he was involved in since becoming a partner at Kleiner Perkins last November. Although his involvement in the deal wasn’t extensive, Lane reports that Gore “wants to order” a Kharma.
Fisker Kharma
The plug-in hybrid technology that drives the Kharma was developed by Quantum Technologies specifically for Fisker Automotive.
“Our goal here is to deliver the advancement that Quantum Technologies has made in the area of plug-in hybrid technology. By combining our efforts with the renowned design talent of Henrik Fisker, we can produce cars that make a difference to the environment - without sacrificing the luxury that
accompanies the finest automobiles,” stated Alan Niedzwiecki, CEO of Quantum Technologies in a press release.
The car has two driving modes, “Stealth Drive,” which is designed to achieve the best gas mileage and “Sport Drive” for times when you want to bring the Kharma to its 125 mph top speed or to jackrabbit from stop lights. The company claims the vehicle can go from 0 to 60 mph in six seconds, which is pretty sporty performance.
One of the options for the Kharma is a solar paneled roof that is capable of charging the batteries as well as keeping the passenger cabin a comfortable temperature while the car is parked.
To cut down even further on greenhouse gases, Fisker is promising that all of its retailers will be housed in eco-friendly facilities.
Other vehicle manufacturers have plans for eco-friendly plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, but for now their cars are just for show not production. General Motors will be showing the Chevy Volt concept car and Toyota announced that it will offer a plug-in hybrid version of its popular Prius by 2010. Chrysler will also be showing three battery powered concept vehicles at the Detroit auto show.
It’s possible that a little start-up from Lake Forest, California could beat the big manufacturers to market.
Perhaps something is making up for some past bad kharma?
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