Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid rises from the ashes

Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid rises from the ashes The Fisker Karma may be rising from the ashes, with new ownership and a new production facility. After declaring bankruptcy in 2013 and defaulting on government loans, the company’s assets were purchased by Chinese conglomerate Wanxiang Group Corp. last year for about $149 million. Now Fisker Automotive and Technology Group, the reconstituted company owned by Wanxiang, has announced that it has leased an industrial warehouse in Moreno Valley, California. Communications Manager Judy Hoste says the company plans to use the facility to restart production of the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid. No timetable for the relaunch of the semi-electric sedan  has been disclosed, but she said the company plans to make further announcements later this year. The new company reportedly still owns the former General Motors factory in Delaware, where Fisker planned to produce a second, smaller and less expensive model, the Atlantic. While Hoste confirmed production of the Karma, she did not address the future of either the Atlantic or the Delaware factory. In the meantime, Fisker Automotive and Technology Group is providing parts and service support for existing Karma owners. That strikes us as a great thing for consumers who own these rare cars, briefly built  by the original Fisker company. We bought and tested our own Fisker Karma in 2012 and experienced first-hand an entirely disabled vehicle and various other glitches that required rather frequent visits to the dealer. (Read “Fisker Karma earns a failing grade.”) Wanxiang seems to have all the resources needed to revive the Karma, from production tooling, to battery supplies and now an assembly plant location. The question is: if they do restart Karma production, will there be any interested consumers willing to buy a car that relies on six-year-old design and technology, when newer models are available, such as the Tesla Model S? We’ll continue to follow this developing story. Read our complete Fisker Karma road test. —Eric Evarts Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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