Fisker hopes to impress the Karma police

Among the different alternative-fuel strategies playing out, Henrik Fisker is betting big on plug-in hybrids. At a recent dinner speech, he said plug-in hybrids will be the dominant type of car for the next 10 to 15 years. And he has reason to hope that will be the case as his start-up company, Fisker Automotive, launches the Karma sedan, with its plug-in hybrid powertrain, in the US in June of next year.

Will the GFC storm clouds rain on Fisker's plug-in dreams?
(Credit: Fisker)

Fisker gained fame as an automotive designer for BMW, where he came up with the stunning Z8, and with Aston Martin, designing the DB9 and Vantage. This background explains the very slinky looks of the four-door Karma.

But starting up a car company is no easy task, and Fisker says it wouldn't have been possible 10 years ago. And not only are the troubles of current major automakers creating an opening, but the pressing need to reduce our reliance on oil is allowing a new era of automotive innovation.

The big automakers have an infrastructure that would be very hard to build up without huge amounts of capital, so Fisker Automotive went about designing the Karma by looking for pre-existing parts. Early on, the company partnered with Southern California-based Quantum Technologies, which had already built a series hybrid concept for the military.

This hybrid system, called Q-Drive, uses two motors located in the rear-wheels, a Lithium-ion battery pack that runs longitudinally down the centre of the car, and a petrol engine as a range extender under the bonnet. The Q-Drive can produce almost 300kW has already undergone significant testing by Quantum Technologies.

Fisker Automotive isn't building the engine, either, instead purchasing it from GM. It's a turbocharged four-cylinder currently being used in the high-performance version of Pontiac's soon-to-die Solstice roadster. The battery pack will come from Enerdel, and the Karma will be built on a contract basis by the Finnish company Valmet. Having another company actually build the cars might seem questionable, but Valmet already proved itself as a contract builder with the Porsche Boxster and Cayman.

The Karma is supposed to go 80km on electric power only, after which the engine will kick in to power the electric motor. The driver will be able to choose between stealth and sport modes, as Fisker calls them, with the latter capable of propelling the Karma from 0 to 96km/h (60mph) in under six seconds. Fisker pointed out that the powertrain is currently being tested around the company's Irvine, California headquarters in ute mules.

A solar roof will come standard in the vehicle, which, in a sunny climate, adds about 12 kilometres per week of drive time. Cabin technology in the Karma is controlled with a 10.5-inch touchscreen with haptic feedback.

The Karma will be offered in three trims, dubbed Eco Standard, Eco Sport, and Eco Chic, ranging from US$80,400 (AU$101,000) to US$98,900 (AU$123,000), after a US$7500 plug-in hybrid tax credit. The Eco Chic model does away with leather seats that are standard in the other models in favour of vegetarian-friendly materials and salvaged wood.

Fisker also said the company is working on a new model, with the idea that it would be an affordable mass-market car, but still using the Q-Drive plug-in hybrid system.