Detroit, Check Out This Radical New Karma

CBS Evening News: Sleek, Green And Getting 100 MPG, Is This Car The Wave Of The Future?

(CBS)  On a test track in Southern California, a radical new car is getting its first workout. The zebra stripes camouflage it from competitors, but these are the first pictures of the Fisker "Karma," the brainchild of designer Henrik Fisker, who's trying to succeed where Detroit so far has failed, CBS News business correspondent Anthony Mason reports.

"The vision is to do a high performance, luxurious, sexy-looking car which gets better miles per gallon than the Prius," Fisker said.

The Karma is a plug-in hybrid. It can go 50 miles on an electrical charge before a gas engine kicks in to power its lithium ion battery.

"The average driver will get something around 100 miles per gallon," Fisker said.

The Karma's top speed is 125 mph. The initial price tag: $80,000. But within a few years, Fisker hopes to produce a $40,000 version of this lean, green machine.

It's got other earth-friendly features.

"The entire roof's a solar panel," Fisker said. "Actually it's the first curved solar panel in the world."

The Danish-born Fisker, who was a designer at BMW and Aston Martin, then owned by Ford, grew frustrated by the bureaucracy at the big car companies … so he started his own.

"We don't have the overhead that plagues a lot of the large car companies. And we can move extremely fast," he said.

Unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January, the Karma is scheduled to become the first plug-in hybrid on the road late next year - well ahead of Chevy's Volt.

For all the debate over whether the U.S. government should bail out Ford, GM and Chrysler, consider the biggest investor in Fisker is the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar. They've poured nearly $60 million into the car.

When the U.S. rescue package is discussed, the California-based Fisker is never mentioned.

Should the government be giving them some of the money?

"I think they should actually, because we are pioneers," Fisker said. "We are coming out, leading the way and showing how it could be done."

Small, nimble and fast - in the future the American auto industry may need to look a lot like Fisker.

[roach9703]

Gee this looks too much like success. Do you really think the government will be interested?

[jsd330]

Sure the Japanese hybrids will be cheaper due to their government keeping the yen arificially low against other currency''s and subsidies.Give Fisker a whole bunch of our tax dollers and you will still be paying $40,000 for his Karma. He''ll probobly move his plant to the Pacific rim, like everybody else is doing. Oil money is paying for his R&D, and the only ones who will be able to afford it will be the oil rich nations.
Whatever happend to cars powered by natural gas and propane ? they are cleaner, go father then battery and no battery disposal problem. Putting a propane or natural gas tank in a car is no more unsafe then a big battery. They use propane to run forklifts in wharhouses and factories and gas company''s power a big majority of their vechicals with natural gas.

[nolalou]

And, BTW CBS, nice provocative title for the article, like rubbing "Detroit''''s" nose in "it", eh? Do you think this $80k vehicle is going to be the mass hit "Detroit" needs? Or even it''''s downscaled $40k version? Not a chance. The plug-in hybrid will never sell in the mass market at $40k in today''''s dollars. Pigs will fly before that happens.

Posted by Dan400Man

I think the point to be taken from this company, and similar companies, is that more money should be invested in future technologies so we see these kinds of cars at affordable prices. Yes, more research has to be done on batteries, etc.
In addition, T. Boone Pickens idea of using natural gas should be explored.
None of these technologies may be ready in the short term, but in the long run a solution is needed as an alternative to the gasoline engine.

[dan400man]

And, BTW CBS, nice provocative title for the article, like rubbing "Detroit''s" nose in "it", eh? Do you think this $80k vehicle is going to be the mass hit "Detroit" needs? Or even it''s downscaled $40k version? Not a chance. The plug-in hybrid will never sell in the mass market at $40k in today''s dollars. Pigs will fly before that happens.

[dan400man]

1) Won''t ever buy, much less drive, a car named Karma.
2) ROI on a $40k car way, WAY too long, even when gas is $4/gallon. This is why GM''s Volt will be an abject failure as a vehicle produced for the "mass" market. How this is even still on GM''s drawing board, given all of the other alternatives out there and the ROI associated with this car, is beyond me. Someone''s smoking too much happy weed in the RenCen.

Otherwise, kudos to Mr. Fisker for innovating and leading the way to the future, along with other small startups doing the same type of thing with "alternative" vehicles. This particular hybrid concept (drive strictly on electric first, then gasoline after batteries can''t generate power) should have been the first hybrid concept developed. The current hybrids do relatively little to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but the electric-first hybrid, once it becomes affordable, will be the game-changer we''ve been waiting for.

[incog-nito]

.... quit trying to make them all sports cars that do 100+ miles per hour top end and instead make them affordable to more people

Posted by cyberus at 02:18 PM : Nov 25, 2008

Exactly! People looking to save money on gas usually want to save money on THE CAR itself. The $40,000 Chevy Volt will still be way too expensive to compete against the upcoming Japanese plug-in hybrids.

[cyberus-2009]

I have a concept for the plug-in/hybrid concept car designers ....

.... quit trying to make them all sports cars that do 100+ miles per hour top end and instead make them affordable to more people

[delfmast]

editorialstaff net notes: A million mile diesel/CNG fired generator truck, that powers our off grid homes, hunting camps, and work sites, selling for $80K, would cost less than replacement costs, for my 1993 F700 Cummins fired 185 HP diesel. Build a true Plug In and Out hybrid, use existing technology battery pods, quick change, with several selectable engine power levels, to allow 55 mph operation, on all roadways, and run at more economic speeds when charging the vehicle''s batteries, or replacing my 30KW portable generator, or charging the village or the grid in the third world now, and in America, when federal mandates force grid acceptance of small generator''s power. Prices up to $130K become an investment in a lifetime power unit, that frees the owner from liquid transport fuel, on the farm, on the highway, and at his shop, work site, or hunting camp. Provide for the use of multiple battery pods, when less freight allows more use of grid power, charged at off peak electric rates.

[frankie2fing]

Part 1 of 2

The federal government has no right to use OUR money to bail out any company. That''''s what chapter 11 is for. It''''s not our fault that the CEO''''s give themselves sinfully high salaries. Or bonuses that could pay the mortgages for 10 homes.
The first financial institution to get bailed out voted themselves a super bonus, with OUR money! Let them sink and crash. It''''s time for new blood. The corporate world has a disease that only a blood transfusion can get rid of.
Posted by softtail2005

On the face of it, this idea sounds good. But the government created this problem. It started in the 70''s when we started removing the tariffs which protected the manufacturers in this country. This, coupled with the state sponsored corporations in the far east, Japan noteably, but others too, destroyed the domestic electronic industry. This ''monopoly'' then gave these countries more money to attack other industries (also state sponsored). The dominoes clatter down to this date. Now the automakers are under attack by this international corporate war.

[frankie2fing]

Part 2 of 2

And the government continues to make it easy for them. And so have we. In the pacific rim countries, they are taught in school NOT TO BUY U.S. GOODS! We on the otherhand will only buy the cheapest without regard to country of origin. The government needs to reinstitute tariffs (other countries have them, contrary to public belief otherwise) and we need to support the corporations here that are doing it right. Otherwise the results will be the destruction of this great country without a shot fired.

[softtail2005]

The federal government has no right to use OUR money to bail out any company. That''s what chapter 11 is for. It''s not our fault that the CEO''s give themselves sinfully high salaries. Or bonuses that could pay the mortgages for 10 homes.
The first financial institution to get bailed out voted themselves a super bonus, with OUR money! Let them sink and crash. It''s time for new blood. The corporate world has a disease that only a blood transfusion can get rid of.

[ddaryl1]

Who calls a car "Karma" anyway? Is this a Hindu car?

Posted by bracemic --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obvioulsy you never heard about Earl... In fact my entire religous belief system is based upon Karma...

as for naming the car Karma... its actually a cool name for such a vehicle... Hopefully they can get the price down sooner then later with a solid 6 + year warranty.

[softtail2005]

Everything on the market that can be bought, sold or traded, including ideas, has or has had at one time, a PATENT. Otherwise every MORON could make money off of someone else''s invention or idea.

[elcherokee]

If you want the true story of a 100 mile per gallon car, Google Tom Ogle. In 1977 he managed to get 100 miles per gallon driving a 1970 Ford Galaxy.

[usedeqbroker]

You can not bail out the auto industry. Period. They have developed a brain cancer and from top managment down to the janitors in the plants and they do, an not amd mever will function as normal people. They have been over paid, over protected, over unionized and frankly we are over them. They couldn''t follow through on an original out of the box thought and develop something new if someone handed them the blueprints engraved on two stone tablets. Let tem go and they will become nostalgic bumps in the road when out of the ashes there will be a rise of real companies with real products that affect the market and no our bank accounts!

[softtail2005]

First of all, there is no such thing as an "American Made" car. American Assembled, yes. Most parts are made or come from "other" countries.
Second, the "Big Three" and "Big Oil" ARE in bed together. In the ''70''s Exxon bought a patent from one of the big three of a fuel delivery system that got over 100 miles per gallon. Exxon then "locked up" that patent for life.
There are many other patents that are "locked up" for life by other oil companies AND the big three. Patents for materials that are lightweight and virtually indestructable. Materials for tires that will NEVER wear down. The list could go on and on.
What about a car with 30 horsepower electric motors at each wheel powered by a generator which in turn is powered by a two (2) cylinder motor set at idle speed? This would cerainly give more than 150 miles per gallon. They use that technology on trains, why not cars? Oh, that''s right, the patent for that idea is owned by the big oil and is locked up for life.
As for the comments on this site, there were only three that made any sense and weren''t so myopic, ignorant and full of negativity and hate. YOU are part of the problem. Jackasses.

[softtail2005]

First of all, there is no such thing as an "American Made" car. American Assembled, yes. Most parts are made or come from "other" countries.
Second, the "Big Three" and "Big Oil" ARE in bed together. In the ''70''s Exxon bought a patent from one of the big three of a fuel delivery system that got over 100 miles per gallon. Exxon then "locked up" that patent for life.
There are many other patents that are "locked up" for life by other oil companies AND the big three. Patents for materials that are lightweight and virtually indestructable. Materials for tires that will NEVER wear down. The list could go on and on.
What about a car with 30 horsepower electric motors at each wheel powered by a generator which in turn is powered by a two (2) cylinder motor set at idle speed? This would cerainly give more than 150 miles per gallon. They use that technology on trains, why not cars? Oh, that''s right, the patent for that idea is owned by the big oil and is locked up for life.
As for the comments on this site, there were only three that made any sense and weren''t so myopic, ignorant and full of negativity and hate. YOU are part of the problem. Jackasses.

[bracemic]

Who calls a car "Karma" anyway? Is this a Hindu car?

[daffy64]

How is a plug-in electric car Earth-friendly? Doesn''''t the electricity at the end of the plug have to be generated somewhere? Probably a coal-fired power plant is making juice for the car.

--

There''s no coal fire plant anywhere in the world that pollutes as much (per unit of energy produced) as an internal combustion engine. They''re one of the most ineficient power sources available.

[glidescube]

GM need to copy Toyota. Point, blank, and period.