When Fisker first introduced its Karma hybrid, things seemed a little too good to be true. Not only was upstart Fisker promising to be the first automaker to mass produce a plug-in hybrid – a range-extending electric vehicle at that – but the electric automaker was also planning to do it in the body of a sleek four-door with an emphasis on performance. But, now that eight months have passed since the Karma’s unveiling, it looks as though Fisker will make good on its promise.
Fisker announced on Tuesday that it has raised $65 in secured funding – the majority of which will come from Qatar Investment Authority. Interestingly, QIA appears to be an investment firm from the country of Qatar, which earns most of its $52 billion in GDP through its oil reserves, making its backing of a hybrid vehicle maker seem a little ironic.
Nonetheless, the announcement is a major step forward for Fisker. Fisker has already secured two overseas distributors and announced earlier this year that the Karma will be produced by Valmet – the same company that makes the Porsche Cayman and Boxster.
If Fisker can keep on track, it just might beat General Motors to the first plug-in punch.
09/09, 7:01 PM
posted by:
A4
wow theyre from Qatar!?? i never would have guessed!!! We do have some level of intelligence, lln.
09/10, 2:19 AM
posted by:
whips001
the most innovative company with the best looking electric cars they are coming out with a Karma Coupe and convertible next…glad to hear the news…the owner designed the BMW Z8 and the Aston DB9, so you know the cars will be sick
09/10, 10:23 AM
posted by:
mulletmaster
Ironic does not seem to be the operative phrase here, perhaps thoughtful. My thought is that since the finical backer heavily relies on oil for its GDP and has their say on this product and probably its technologies (based on the arrangement) and if they sell less oil see where this car is then.
09/10, 2:53 PM
posted by:
yarddog82abn
Why dose this story remember me of the De Lorean? You know all De Loreans “drive on the lines of the road”…get it?
09/10, 3:07 PM
posted by:
Omnicient
I wonder why a tiny private company can even come close to competing, completely out design and out pacing the major car companies.
This is either a lack of effort on the side of the major car producers to introduce this new technology to the public or a huge void of vision by all the car companies. I’d think the latter is not possible.
Why is it that whenever the car companies IE Toyota and the new Honda “real” hybrids come out on the market, they look like something out of a comic book, in terms of design. I never knew that fuel efficient = “odd van looking crossover”. I mean really, do all hybrids have to be completely BORING and totally uninspiring to buy for the majority of the market ? Really, come on now !!!
This is my theory
The car companies probably institute this “soldiering” technique. “Soldiering” is a sociological term that was born out of the industrial revolution where workers would loosely band together to slow production, on purpose, so that they basically weren’t working to the bone every day. It is something that many people even today use in their daily lives at work. In other words they “pace” themselves.
Well in terms of allowing this new technology into the market the car companies are loosely “soldiering”. Face it, it probably costs them more to produce these hybrids, let alone these plug in hybrids, which has a direct effect on their bottom line. Either, car prices go up – which kills demand or their profits go down.
The car companies are dragging their feet to try to slow the introduction of this new technology – so they can still milk their combustible engine technology for as long as they can.
I mean really, a fully private company such as this, or such as Tesla … can develop these cars, engineer them to work and also provide great design/look. I mean come on, these little guys shouldn’t even be able to compete.
I hope for a revolution in car manufacturing and whoever falls behind will be left in the dust, with good riddance. Survival of the most innovative!
09/10, 3:27 PM
posted by:
yarddog82abn
Omnicient, you are one part right, the part your missing is that if the “auto maker” can not have all the rights to the technology, they just don’t what it, most of this technology is thanking out of the box, that and for Frisker and Tesla that made it 10 other car makers did not. Just the Law of the land, big fish eat litttle fish,…. they should call that Law of the sea…..