2012 Fisker Karma Uncompromised Responsible Luxury Part II

Passion, style and performance drive the direction of the 2012 Fisker Karma. The Karma is the “worlds first electric luxury vehicle with extended range.” In part II of our profile we take a closer look at what Fisker calls, “Uncompromised Responsible Luxury™.” The Karma’s design philosophy offers some unique and clever features and attributes that just may surprise!

Fisker Automotive has introduced the “world’s first electric luxury vehicle with extended range.” In part I of our profile with Fisker Automotive we began our conversation with David Harris, Digital Marketing Manager at Fisker as he talked about the Karma’s performance. In part II we take a closer look at Fisker’s sustainable design philosophy.

The components that form the Karma’s interior and exterior are as unique as they are essential to Fisker’s commitment to sustainable luxury. Every Karma produced reflects Fisker’s dedication to the use of reclaimed, recycled and reusable materials. We will discuss how the use of reclaimed lumber, its solar glass roof, water-based exterior paint and other sustainable attributes are essential to Fisker’s sustainable design.

The Karma’s interior wood trim is sourced from reclaimed lumber recovered from California storms and wildfires, and fallen wood from Lake Michigan. Its seating foam is fashioned from soy-based bio fiber and the carpet backing is created from recycled post-consumer materials. Fisker is also the first sustainable luxury brand to introduce a water-based paint called Diamond Dust^TM. This paint includes 35-55% recycled glass and releases no volatile organic compounds into the environment. Lastly, the Karma’s solar glass roof is the largest ever designed for a production vehicle which harnesses energy from the sun to extend the driving range for up to an additional 200 miles/322 km annually.

Karma drivers will reap the benefits of Fisker’s commitment to passion, style and performance. Fisker provides its customers with an opportunity to help sustain the environment without diminishing quality or performance.

We will conclude our series in Part III as we discuss Fisker’s marketing strategy, customer demographics and their story behind the brand.

 We want to hear from you! Do you think the Fisker’s Karma is a wonder of both art and engineering?

2012 Fisker Karma – Uncompromised Responsible Luxury

Happy New Year BRANDInsiders!  We kick-off 2012 with a look at the exciting and innovative 2012 Fisker Karma. The Karma is the “world’s first high performance electric luxury vehicle,” with the freedom to Plug-in or Fill-up.

We traveled to Fisker Global Headquarters in Anaheim, California to interview David Harris, Digital Marketing Manager at Fisker. Parts one and two of our webisodes will focus on the attributes of the 2012 Karma while part three will provide some insight on the brands marketing approach, buyer demographics and the story behind the ride.

2012 Fisker Karma – Overview of features, functions and benefits

Responsible Luxury: Fisker Automotive calls the 2012 Karma “the world’s first luxury-performance hybrid-electric vehicle with extended range.” We interviewed David Harris, Fisker’s Digital Marketing Manager who gave BI some valuable one on one time with the 2012 Karma. One look at the 2012 Karma and you know right away that this is not your typical hybrid/electric vehicle. The styling is progressive, sleek, and aggressively sporty and embodies the definition of the term, “exotic sports sedan.” The low profile stance of the vehicle does provide a sense of movement while standing still.

Command Center: Inside the driver compartment the Karma does not disappoint with a cabin that is both luxurious and sporty. The cockpit offers a unique blend of leather, ecosuede and reclaimed, recycled and reusable wood and other materials that compliment modern technology.  Fisker designers chose to simplify the car’s dashboard controls by providing a single place to control multiple features.

Performance: The driving force behind the Karma’s impressive performance is Fisker’s patented EVer™ powertrain. The Karma uses an electric generator and battery pack to power the dual electric motors that drive the wheels, giving the Karma a range of up to 50 miles of electric driving using the Stealth Mode. After 50 miles, the internal combustion gasoline engine supports the electric motors for an additional range of 250 miles by using the Sport Mode. Fisker marketing touts, “high impact performance, low impact on the environment”.  The Karma offers 403 horsepower, a 300 mile/483 km extended range (EVer™) and 100 MPG/160 km achievable. According to Harris, the Fisker Karma is also the first production vehicle to feature 22″ Circuit Blade wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires as standard equipment.

Freedom: The Karma’s lightweight aluminum spaceframe and load-leveling shock absorbers deliver nimble handling and responsive driving dynamics. The dual-electric motors are capable of producing up to 959 ft-lb of torque, defining a new era of electric exhilaration. Topping things off is what Fisker describes as the world’s largest seamless solar glass roof for a production vehicle. The Karma reportedly can provide drivers up to 200 miles (321 km) per year of completely emission-and-cost free driving. Fisker will be looking to attract consumers from other luxury performance vehicles with a twist, the freedom to plug-in or fill-up.

In Part II of our Fisker 2012 Karma profile, we take a closer look at other features like the solar roof and Karma’s interior design and layout.

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