Fisker Karma: Range Extended Electric Car Ultimate Guide

By Antony Ingram

Antony Ingram

Contributing Writer BIO

Antony is an automotive obsessive: Whether it drives, sits there looking pretty or intrigues from afar, he'll talk and write about it. Automotive... More

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2012 Fisker Karma EcoChic, New York City, Jan 2012

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Make a car desirable enough, and people will buy it whatever is powering the wheels.

That's the theory anyway, but in a world of unease over the suitability of electric cars, the Henrik Fisker has taken the more comfortable, usable route to creating an electric car: The range-extended Fisker Karma.

When the EPA-rated 32-mile electric range is depleted, a 2.0-liter, turbocharged gasoline engine kicks in to generate power, keeping the electric motors running. The $102,000 Karma gets 52 MPGe under electric power and 20 MPG in range-sustaining gasoline mode.

Full review: 2012 Fisker Karma

We've been covering the Karma for quite a while now, so to find out more, check out the links below. The list will be updated periodically. Look for the "New!" tag to read the latest articles, and the links to the top of each catagory are the most recent.

You might want to take a look at page 2, too--our coverage of fires, financial issues, furloughs and failures is filling up fast, as Fisker Automotive appears to be going through its death throes.

Driving the Karma

So what's the 2012 Fisker Karma like when you're behind the wheel? Pretty good actually, and we've driven it a few times now to bring you our impressions. Click on any of the links below to go to the relevant test drive.

• 2012 Fisker Karma: Brief Drive Report
• 2012 Fisker Karma Electric Car: Quick Drive Review [Video]
• 2012 Fisker Karma Electric Car First Drive Impressions: Video

Buying, owning and sales

The Karma hasn't had an easy time coming to market, but now drivers can experience the Karma for themselves. You can read about the Karma's pricing, or read about the company's battery glitch fixes by clicking here. For more information, there's a wealth of links below.

• How Many Karmas Has Fisker Built So Far? We Say 2,000-Plus
• Penske Automotive Signs To Become 2012 Fisker Karma Dealer
• Fisker Focuses On Karma Sales, Delaware Factory In Hibernation
• Fisker Emphasizes Its Focus On Product Quality
• Was The 2012 Fisker Karma Released Before It Was Ready?
• Fisker Recalls 239 Karma Electric Sedans To Fix Battery Pack
• Volt-Style Battery Nightmare Before Christmas Haunts Fisker
• Fisker Promises 15,000 Karmas For 2012, Changes Story On Production Delays
• Fisker Karma Electric-Car Production Ramps Up, But Slowly
• Dream About Ordering A 2012 Fisker Karma? We Show You How It's Done (Video)
• Fisker Karma Customer Deliveries: Maybe October, Or November?
• First 2012 Fisker Karma Electric Car Delivered, Finally, To Investor Ray Lane
• First Fisker Karma To DiCaprio, 3,000 Orders Behind Him, CEO Says
• 2011 Fisker Karma Plug-In Hybrid: Sales Now To Start In July
• 2011 Fisker Karma 'Final Pricing' Goes Up Again, To $95,900
• Waiting For Fisker: First Factory-Built 2011 Karma At Paris Motor Show

Karma economy

Range-extended electric vehicles should have great economy, right? Well, not necessarily, and Fisker wasn't best pleased at the official EPA ratings--you could say the EPA was giving them bad Karma. Also, the Karma is apparently a subcompact too--no, really. For more, click the links below.

• 2012 Fisker Karma Owners Average 150 MPG, Company Says (New!)
• 2012 Fisker Karma Gets Good News From Germany: 50 Miles Of Range. Yes, But...
• Plug-In Hybrid MPGs: Is Parallel Or Range-Extended Better?
• Electric-Car Range Extender Engines: OK Now, Can Do Better