Tesla Motors hopes to have its second model – the Model S sedan – out by 2011, but Tesla rival Fisker plans to have four models in its showroom by the same year. Fisker will launch the Karma Sedan next year followed a year later by the Karma Convertible, but two other Fisker models are also in the pipeline.
According to company CEO Henrick Fisker, Fisker Automotive is planning a third model based on the Karma platform as well as an all-new entry-level model. Fisker failed to give any further details on the new models but did add they could be on the road in as little as 29 months.
“We’re first doing the four-door and then we’re doing the convertible and then we’re planning some third derivative off the Karma platform,” Fisker told The Oakland Press. “Then we’re planning a high-volume vehicle for a lower price. We’ve applied for a Department of Energy grant. If that loan comes through, we’ll have this vehicle on the road in 29 months.”
While a third version of the Karma platform is intriguing, the real news is Fisker’s plan to do a volume model with a lower cost of entry. The Karma Sedan will retail from about $88,000, so a lower price could easily mean $40,000 – the same price General Motors will likely charge for its Chevrolet Volt. If Fisker is planning to do a volume sedan with the sleek styling of the Karma, potential Volt buyers will be faced with a rather difficult decision.
