Sunday, February 26, 2012

The Karma Is Not An EV





He's not driving an EV either.



In a previous post I explained why the Volt is not an EV.  For all the same reasons neither is the Fisker Karma.  It's a plug in series hybrid.  It has enough battery to provide about 50 miles of electric range, then the on board generator kicks in, providing electrical power to the motor, but unlike the Volt, the gas motor never drives the wheels directly.  It's a less complex setup, which is good, but in this particular design it creates a less efficient vehicle, which is bad.  The Karma is heavy and not particularly efficient when running from the generator.  Considering it's price tag it also does not have exceptional performance specs, the Tesla Model S is cheaper, faster, more efficient, and an actual EV.
The Karma is a beautiful car, unfortunately it's not all that exceptional beyond that, and it is not an EV.  Maybe at some point they can pull out the gas motor, add enough batteries to improve the performance and range, and create a real EV.