Fisker Consolidates U.S. Facilities, Closes Michigan R&D Center

Like most of the big players in the automotive industry that had to retract, right-size and close facilities across the country, electric vehicle startup Fisker Automotive has also had to bite the bullet and consolidate some of its operations. A little over a year after establishing its 34,000 square foot engineering and development center in Pontiac, Michigan, Fisker has announced that it will close the facility and transfer its 30 staff to its headquarters located in Irvine, California.


Fisker isn’t completely abandoning the state of Michigan as the company fully intends on maintaining its relationship with local suppliers.


The move is scheduled to take place on March 1 at which point Fisker’s headquarters will house all design, engineering, sales, marketing, and administrative operations. At the same time Fisker also plans to increase the number of new hires, though no numbers have been revealed.


According to the company, the consolidation is to "accelerate development of its next-generation plug-in hybrids".


The company’s first model, the upcoming Karma plug-in hybrid luxury sedan, will be built by independent vehicle manufacturer Valmet in Finland but its next model, codenamed Project NINA, will be built at a former GM plant in Delaware, which Fisker secured the rights to thanks to a $528 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy.
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Fisker now taking orders for Fisker Karma S convertible

Fisker Karma is out to prove that green cars don't have to be boring with its extended-range plug-in hybrid Karma, available in both sedan and retractable hardtop variants. Potential buyers have already placed over 1,300 orders for the four-door model and now we hear that the burgeoning automaker is accepting deposits of $25,000 for the Karma S drop-top. Those placing orders early are being told they can expect a delivery date in late 2011.

Both Karma models come equipped with lithium ion battery packs that can provide gasoline-free travel for up to 50 miles, after which a GM-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct injected Energizer Bunny powerplant will kick in to recharge the battery. There's reportedly enough juice to power twin electric motors that offer over 400 horsepower to the rear wheels, which is sufficient to push the electric stunner to 60 in under six seconds and up to a top speed of over 125 mph.[Source: eGMCarTech]

Fisker Karma Review

Now is the time to tell the whole world that being green doesn’t mean being in drab. Two car manufacturers have actually been able to create plug-in units that are green and yet are also plush. And I mean totally luxurious.

The Seattle Times’ Motoring mentioned that Fisker Automotive with Visionary Vehicles are working on such a type of vehicle. Green and plush sedans would soon be sent to the market for consumer consumption.

The head for Visionary Vehicles, Malcolm Bricklin, stated, “If I say ‘electric,’ people think ’slow.’ They think electric cars are golf carts. What people don’t get is they’re very fast, and they’re real.”

Right now, Visionary has a concept vehicle that is known as the Fisker Karma and it has been built as a sports car. It can take a zoom from a total zero to a high of 60 miles per hour in just 5.8 seconds. Its top speed even clocks in at 125 mph. If that is not fast, then I surely would have to find out what is.

Everything about the new concept has been painstakingly done so as to be able to find the right types of parts - from doors to engines to windshields to floor mats - for the vehicle to perform right. And the company has been able to find that using an electric motor with a lithium-ion battery would work well for the vehicle. It also comes with a gas engine that is small and holds four cylinders.

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Fisker Karma Hybrid Exterior Picture

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Top Cars model : Fisker Karma

Detroit Auto Show: Fisker Karma Luxury Hybrid, Only $80,000



The big news today is the Fisker Karma Luxury Hybrid, which is going to come at $80,000 and deliver luxury style, GT performance and eco-friendliness. And this isn't a flight of fancy. This is a production model that will be produced in the fourth quarter of 2009 with venture capital funding by Kleiner Perkins, who made big investments in Netscape and Google at the right time that later turned into big victories. A true lithium-ion plug-in hybrid, the electrical system is good for 50 miles of electric-only driving in stealth mode. Otherwise, the second mode of the hybrid system involves a performance-oriented four cylinder engine. The company currently puts the performance at 5.8 seconds 0-60 mph with a top speed of 125 mph (continuous). Interestingly, we also got photos of Mark Fields chatting it up at the Fisker display before the reveal. Old friend, new partner -- or maybe a mullet potential curious onlooker attempting to find out more about what's going on under the hood?

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