Fisker

Fisker sent 160 of its employees home from its Anaheim, Calif., headquarters this morning, apparently decimating its workforce, according to a report by Reuters. The move seems to spell the end for the electric vehicle startup.

Reuter's report goes on to say that 53 executives remain on staff, tasked with selling the company's assets.

The company's sole product, the Karma, is a luxury plug-in hybrid with a base price of $103,000. The car uses an electric motor to power the rear wheels and includes an onboard gasoline engine to generate electricity, a drivetrain concept similar to … Read more

A story by Business Insider reports that 16 Fisker Karmas at the Port of Newark in New Jersey, submerged in seawater by Hurricane Sandy, caught fire.

Because of the storm damage, Fisker representatives have not had access to the port facilities. At this point, there is no reliable information about what might have happened, or if the fires had anything to do with the cars' electric drive systems.

A Fisker spokesman sent CNET a statement saying that the cars were not being charged at the time, and that there were no injuries related to the fire. The statement goes on … Read more

Join us for a real inside tour of the Fisker Automotive design center. Our tour guide is none other then Henrik Fisker. We'll see the Karma through his eyes, view the future of personal transportation, and see the cocktail napkin that started it all. In the end, you may be surprised at how much this is a story of America.

Henrik Fisker is best known for designing the Aston Martin DB9 and the BMW Z8, both masterpieces in modern auto penmanship. He also did the initial design work on the Tesla Model S, which led to a less than … Read more

Representatives of Fisker Automotive were in Monterey last week during the annual classic-car pilgrimage and made a few Karma sedans available for drives. Car Tech got a quick drive in Las Vegas during this year's CES, and while we still haven't gotten enough time with the car for a full review, our latest stint behind the wheel for about 10 miles gave us a better taste of its driving dynamics.

Most agree that the Karma is quite something to behold in the metal, and we are firmly in that camp. Extremely elongated and low, and riding on 22-inch … Read more

Sometimes, things just blow up.

It happens to iPhones, so why shouldn't it happen to lovely, shiny hybrid cars?

I am grateful to Jalopnik, which discovered that a lovely Fisker Karma is slightly less lovely today, after it appears to have set itself alight.

I don't think it was a protest against continued ignorance of global warming, though local fire crew in Woodside, Calif., are currently mystified as to why the Fisker lost its karma and simply flambeed.

No one appears to have been hurt in this incident, which occurred when the owner went into a local grocery … Read more

Another 19 Fisker Karmas are being recalled due to a potential fire hazard risk in the battery compartment.

Incorrectly positioned hose clamps could cause a cooling leak, Fisker Automotive reported in its government recall notice. If coolant enters the battery compartment, an electrical short could result in a fire. The luxury automaker recalled 239 of its plug-in hybrid vehicles in December 2011 because of this installation defect, and the latest recall is an expansion of the same problem.

Owners of the affected 2012 Karmas will be notified by Fisker, which will arrange transportation of the vehicles to repair facilities. The … Read more

If you're in the market for a luxury plug-in hybrid sedan, start saving up the $50,000 to $60,000 you'll need to buy the Fisker Atlantic sedan. And you'll have plenty of time -- don't expect to see the car in the showrooms for another couple of years.

Details of Fisker's second plug-in hybrid were leaked to InsideEvs.com. The Fisker Atlantic, formerly known as Project Nina, is the startup's follow-up to its $100,000 Karma plug-in hybrid sports car. The Atlantic is a smaller, more affordable luxury coupe that will be equipped … Read more

Fisker Automotive received worrying news last week when a Karma sedan burned in a house fire in Texas. The cause is still being investigated, according to the company.

The fire started shortly after a new Karma owner parked the car in a garage, according to a report in Autoweek. A fire investigator told Autoweek that the Karma, which was not plugged in, was the origin of the fire, but the cause was not known.

Fisker released a statement saying that the electric car's battery pack was intact and "does not appear to be a contributing factor in this … Read more

The unveiling of Fisker Automotive's Atlantic model last night proves once again the EV maker can design beautiful cars. But the company's far away from demonstrating it's a healthy business.

The Atlantic extended-range electric vehicle is a luxury, four-door sedan expected to cost about $50,000. Like the sportier and more expensive Fisker Karma, it has bold styling and the high-tech touches of cars in its class. It's also electric, driven by motors and a gas engine that kicks in to keep batteries charged for longer rides.

As a lower-priced car than the $108,000 Karma, … Read more