38. Fun electric car

Electric cars are undoubtedly good for the earth, but are they any good to drive? Too often the answer has been no, but the souped-up Fisker Karma is a scorching exception. Developed by Henrik Fisker, the Danish automobile designer behind iconic sports cars like the BMW Z8, the Karma has an all-electric range of 80 km. But its greenness aside, the Karma is also an unabashed luxury product, with sustainably sourced wood trim, a high-tech paint job, solar panels built into the roof and a drive system that can go from 0 to 60 m.p.h. in 6.3 seconds. (Unlike the equally zippy electric Tesla Roadster, the Karma also has a gas engine that extends the driving range by 400 km.) It's not surprising that green celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio already have Karmas in their driveways.

Fisker Karma Fisker Karma

Specifications

Description: Fisker Karma

Manufacturer

Fisker Automotive

Production

2011-present

Assembly

Uusikaupunki, Finland by Valmet Automotive

Class

subcompact luxury sports sedan

Body style

4-door sedan

Layout

front engine, rear wheel drive

Combustion engine

2.0 litres (120 cu in) Turbocharged Ecotec VVT DI LNF

Electric motor

120 kW (161 hp) motors, and 479 N·m torque

Drivetrain

Series hybrid. The two electric motors drive the rear wheels through a limited slip differential, with a final drive ratio of 4:1

Battery

20.1 kWh (72.4 MJ) lithium-ion battery

Range

230 mi (370 km)

Electric Range

32 mi (51 km) (EPA), 83 km (52 mi)[4] (TÜV)

Car Dimensions

Length: 195.67 in (4,970 mm), Width: 78.11 in (1,984 mm), Height: 51.57 in (1,310 mm)

Curb weight

5,300 lb (2,400 kg)

Designer

Henrik Fisker

The Fisker Karma is a plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan produced by Fisker Automotive and manufactured at Valmet Automotive in Finland. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rated the Karma's combined city/highway fuel economy at 52 mpg-US (4.5 L/100 km; 62 mpg-imp) equivalent (MPG-e) in all-electric mode, and at 20 mpg-US (12 L/100 km; 24 mpg-imp) in gasoline-only mode. EPA's official all-electric range is 32 mi (51 km). Due to the very small cabin interior volume, the EPA rated the Fisker Karma as a subcompact.