With the long-awaited Fisker Karma officially on sale in the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wasted no time in releasing its figures for the latest plug-in hybrid. The Karma gets a fuel-economy rating of 52 MPGe for combined gas/electric driving and 20 miles per gallon for driving on just gas. And while company CEO Henrik Fisker stated that his luxury sedan would get an electric-only driving range of 50 miles, the EPA rates the Karma at just 32 miles.
To many, the Fisker Karma hasn’t met expectations. But considering its affluent target audience, we get a feeling that its buyers won’t be too disappointed at its fuel-economy numbers. After all, a 32 mile range is quite respectable, and according to CEO Fisker, “As with all electric vehicles, range varies greatly on the conditions of the road and how you drive the car. We firmly believe that most owners will get up to 50 miles of driving range on a single charge and will use our electric-only mode most of the time they drive the car.”
The Fisker Karma uses a plug-in hybrid powertrain, called Q-Drive, that uses a 20 kW/h lithium ion battery with Nanophosphate technology mated to a GM-sourced Ecotec 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with direct injection and turbocharging that powers a 175kW generator. Combined output comes in at 403 horsepower and a whopping 981 lb-ft of torque. The Karma offers two driving modes — Stealth and Sport. In electric-only Stealth Mode, the sedan can sprint from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 7.9 seconds and to a top speed of 95 mph. In performance-oriented Sport Mode, it can accomplish the same task in just 5.9 seconds, while obtaining a maximum top speed of 125 mph.
The Karma’s battery can be recharged using either 110-, 220- or 240-volt plugs and takes as little as six hours to charge it fully.
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