2012 Fisker Karma EVer - First Drive
#1
05-18-2011, 07:10 AM
2012 Fisker Karma EVer - First Drive
2012 Fisker Karma EVer - First Drive
Posted 4 your auto knowledge...
There maybe a test later...., but now U know
what it is
Please post your thoughts/comments on the below
created new wave of plug`in Hybirds hitting our highways : )
A lofty goal: melding the terms “plug-in hybrid” and “luxury sports sedan.”
By Dennis Simanaitis / Photos by Bruce Benedict
May 11, 2011
Slideshow >>
Video >>
<!--/photos-video-wrapper-->
<!-- /Main photo wrapper --><!-- test output end: --><!-- the article, at a glance, downloads, top competitors, from buying guide --><!-- left column -->I am R&T’s avowed hybrid enthusiast. And I certainly appreciate luxury and sports as much as the next guy; nay, given my age, lifestyle and general sybaritic nature, more so. Thus, except for being reluctant to exchange $100K in satisfying these personal traits, I am a perfect choice (along with only 13 other non-Fisker types) to experience this first drive of the Fisker Karma EVer, as in “Electric Vehicle extended range.”
The opportunity to drive a pair of these production-validation Karmas came in its entirety at Southern California’s Auto Club Speedway, a venue that was both good and bad. Its infield twisties allowed more brio than I would have assayed on public roadways. But the generally well-maintained surface also had me purposely seeking out track irregularities; this, to assess the car’s structural aspects and real-world behavior.
<CENTER><!-- Start of Brightcove Player -->
<!--By use of this code snippet, I agree to the Brightcove Publisher T and C found at https://accounts.brightcove.com/en/t...nd-conditions/. --><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js"></SCRIPT><OBJECT id=myExperience830961776001 class=BrightcoveExperience title="Big Grin" border=0 codeBase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0" alt="" classid="clsid</OBJECT><!-- This script tag will cause the Brightcove Players defined above it to be created as soonas the line is read by the browser. If you wish to have the player instantiated only afterthe rest of the HTML is processed and the page load is complete, remove the line.--><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>brightcove.createExperiences();</SCRIPT><!-- End of Brightcove Player --></CENTER>Briefly, the good and the bad can be summed up in one observation: The Karma is lithe—but is it too lithe?
A low center of gravity, near 50/50 weight distribution and an ample wheel/tire package give the car handling characteristics that are lithe and taut. The Karma is more nimble than, say, a 7 Series BMW or Porsche Panamera. Its 20-kWh battery pack sourced from A123 resides low and centrally along the car’s spine. Front 255/35WR-22 and rear 285/35WR-22 Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires are specially concocted for the Karma, and their sizable inflation volumes are said to dispel worries about potential pothole damage. Note, at 22 in., they’re extremely tall, taller even than those of the 2008 Karma concept car. But they’re also commendably wide and, these days, not all that low in sidewall dimension. In any case, teamed with the car’s independent double-A-arm suspension, front and rear, they grip and break away predictably and benignly.
I quibble to note that the steering doesn’t quite offer a BMW’s clearly enunciated communication. Or that the pedal actuating the Karma’s huge Brembo brakes exhibits a flatness of feel inferior to the Porsche’s. No matter; the Karma is entertaining, tossable, capable and fun.
A downside to this litheness was evident only when encountering less than ideal surfaces at the speedway, albeit the sort of thing you’d find aplenty in the real world. To describe this, imagine a “Carved-of-a-Single-Block” spectrum, with BMW and Porsche solidly at one extreme and Lotus artfully at the other. I’d expect the $95,900 Karma to position itself considerably closer to the BMW/Porsche end. However, errant rattles on questionable surfaces kept the examples I drove from conveying any lasting Single-Block impressions.
Is this a matter of Karma design or execution? It’s too early to tell. Certainly the car’s fabricator—Finnish company Valmet Automotive—got it right in assembling Porsche Boxsters, for example.
That I’ve got this far without touting the car’s plug-in hybrid nature evidently speaks well of its sporting capabilities. In fact, the Karma is a pure series hybrid. That is, its gasoline engine is utterly dedicated to generating electricity; it never contributes directly to the car’s progress down the road. This powerplant is a 2.0-liter 260-bhp turbocharged inline-4, a GM Ecotec with direct injection and, like the 1.4-liter four in the Chevrolet Volt, requiring premium fuel. Its 175-kW generator teams with a 20-kWh lithium-nanophosphate battery pack supplying electricity to a pair of motors mounted aft (of which more anon).
The battery pack can be replenished from an ordinary 110-volt home circuit, what’s today called Level 1 charging. Depleted to its designed lower limit of 10–15-percent maximum capacity, it accepts a Level 1 refill in 10–12 hours, a 220-volt Level 2 recharge in about half this time. Fisker feels that the ability to charge overnight is both a clear necessity and will also be the norm.
A Monroney label—with its abundance of EPA Fuel Economy information—isn’t expected until later this spring with first deliveries. As with any plug-in hybrid, how often it’s plugged in has profound effect on Karma fuel economics. Fisker notes that 100 mpg is achievable. As shown a while back (see “Super Mpg = Super Hype?,” R&T, November 2009), I can easily devise a strategy yielding more than 1000 mpg, however.
...Continued...
<!-- right column --><!-- at a glance --><!-- /at a glance --><!-- car make:http://buyersguide.roadandtrack.com/fisker \nmake state: published \ncar model:http://buyersguide.roadandtrack.com/fisker/karma \nmodel state: published \nshowlink model: \nrelated_items count: 2-->TOP COMPETITORSFisker Karma »
» Overview<!-- » User Ratings -->» Photos & 360° View» Specs» Prices w/Options<!-- » Get Quote -->
<TABLE class=default border=1 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2>2012 Fisker Karma EVer
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>List price </TD><TD vAlign=top>$95,900-$108,900 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Curb weight </TD><TD vAlign=top>est. 4100 lb. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Weight distribution, f/r </TD><TD vAlign=top>47/53 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Wheelbase </TD><TD vAlign=top>124.4 in. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Length </TD><TD vAlign=top>196.7 in. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Width </TD><TD vAlign=top>78.1 in. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Height </TD><TD vAlign=top>52.4 in. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><CENTER>Powertrain</CENTER>
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Type </TD><TD vAlign=top>gasoline/electric series hybrid </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Engine </TD><TD vAlign=top>alum.black&head, dohc turbo 16V I-4 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Displacement </TD><TD vAlign=top>1998 cc </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Bore x stroke </TD><TD vAlign=top>86.0 x 86.0 mm </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Compression ratio </TD><TD vAlign=top>9.2:1 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Horsepower (SAE) </TD><TD vAlign=top>260 bhp @ 5300 rpm </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Torque </TD><TD vAlign=top>260 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Fuel injection </TD><TD vAlign=top>direct </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Recommended fuel </TD><TD vAlign=top>premium </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Transmission </TD><TD vAlign=top>single speed </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Generator </TD><TD vAlign=top>175 kW </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Electric motor </TD><TD vAlign=top>two permanent-magnet motors, liquid cooled </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Horsepower </TD><TD vAlign=top>403 hp combined </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Torque </TD><TD vAlign=top>981 lb-ft from 0 rpm combined </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Battery </TD><TD vAlign=top>A123 lithium-nanophosphate, 20kWh, liquid cooled </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><CENTER>Chassis & Body</CENTER>
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Layout </TD><TD vAlign=top>front engine, twin rear electric motors / rear-wheel drive </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Body/frame </TD><TD vAlign=top>aluminum, glass fiber / aluminum space frame </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Brakes, f/r </TD><TD vAlign=top>14.6-in./14.4-in. vented discs, brake-by-wire, ABS, regen. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Wheels </TD><TD vAlign=top>cast ally; 22x8½ f, 22x9½ r </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Tire </TD><TD vAlign=top>Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar; 255/35WR-22 f, 285/35WR-22 r </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Steering </TD><TD vAlign=top>rack & pinion, variable electro-hydraulic assist </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Steering turns, lock to lock </TD><TD vAlign=top>2.7 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Suspension, f/r </TD><TD vAlign=top>upper & lower A-arms, coil springs, tube shocks, anti-roll bar / upper & lower A-arms, coil springs, load leveling tube shocks, anti-roll bar </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><CENTER>Performance*</CENTER>
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>0-60 mph </TD><TD vAlign=top>Stealth mode 7.9 sec.; Sport mode 5.9 sec. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Top speed </TD><TD vAlign=top>Stealth mode 95 mph; Sport mode 125 mph </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Range, EV/extended </TD><TD vAlign=top>50 miles / 250 miles </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>*Manufacturer claims.
<!-- /rt-col -->
<!-- tags, pager --><!-- Pager -->
<!-- /article-pager-wrapper -->Pages: 1 2Photos
Posted 4 your auto knowledge...
There maybe a test later...., but now U know
what it is
Please post your thoughts/comments on the belowcreated new wave of plug`in Hybirds hitting our highways : )
A lofty goal: melding the terms “plug-in hybrid” and “luxury sports sedan.”
By Dennis Simanaitis / Photos by Bruce Benedict
May 11, 2011
Slideshow >>Video >><!--/photos-video-wrapper-->
<!-- /Main photo wrapper --><!-- test output end: --><!-- the article, at a glance, downloads, top competitors, from buying guide --><!-- left column -->I am R&T’s avowed hybrid enthusiast. And I certainly appreciate luxury and sports as much as the next guy; nay, given my age, lifestyle and general sybaritic nature, more so. Thus, except for being reluctant to exchange $100K in satisfying these personal traits, I am a perfect choice (along with only 13 other non-Fisker types) to experience this first drive of the Fisker Karma EVer, as in “Electric Vehicle extended range.”
The opportunity to drive a pair of these production-validation Karmas came in its entirety at Southern California’s Auto Club Speedway, a venue that was both good and bad. Its infield twisties allowed more brio than I would have assayed on public roadways. But the generally well-maintained surface also had me purposely seeking out track irregularities; this, to assess the car’s structural aspects and real-world behavior.
<CENTER><!-- Start of Brightcove Player -->
<!--By use of this code snippet, I agree to the Brightcove Publisher T and C found at https://accounts.brightcove.com/en/t...nd-conditions/. --><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js"></SCRIPT><OBJECT id=myExperience830961776001 class=BrightcoveExperience title="Big Grin" border=0 codeBase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0" alt="" classid="clsid
</OBJECT><!-- This script tag will cause the Brightcove Players defined above it to be created as soonas the line is read by the browser. If you wish to have the player instantiated only afterthe rest of the HTML is processed and the page load is complete, remove the line.--><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>brightcove.createExperiences();</SCRIPT><!-- End of Brightcove Player --></CENTER>Briefly, the good and the bad can be summed up in one observation: The Karma is lithe—but is it too lithe?A low center of gravity, near 50/50 weight distribution and an ample wheel/tire package give the car handling characteristics that are lithe and taut. The Karma is more nimble than, say, a 7 Series BMW or Porsche Panamera. Its 20-kWh battery pack sourced from A123 resides low and centrally along the car’s spine. Front 255/35WR-22 and rear 285/35WR-22 Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires are specially concocted for the Karma, and their sizable inflation volumes are said to dispel worries about potential pothole damage. Note, at 22 in., they’re extremely tall, taller even than those of the 2008 Karma concept car. But they’re also commendably wide and, these days, not all that low in sidewall dimension. In any case, teamed with the car’s independent double-A-arm suspension, front and rear, they grip and break away predictably and benignly.
I quibble to note that the steering doesn’t quite offer a BMW’s clearly enunciated communication. Or that the pedal actuating the Karma’s huge Brembo brakes exhibits a flatness of feel inferior to the Porsche’s. No matter; the Karma is entertaining, tossable, capable and fun.
A downside to this litheness was evident only when encountering less than ideal surfaces at the speedway, albeit the sort of thing you’d find aplenty in the real world. To describe this, imagine a “Carved-of-a-Single-Block” spectrum, with BMW and Porsche solidly at one extreme and Lotus artfully at the other. I’d expect the $95,900 Karma to position itself considerably closer to the BMW/Porsche end. However, errant rattles on questionable surfaces kept the examples I drove from conveying any lasting Single-Block impressions.
Is this a matter of Karma design or execution? It’s too early to tell. Certainly the car’s fabricator—Finnish company Valmet Automotive—got it right in assembling Porsche Boxsters, for example.
That I’ve got this far without touting the car’s plug-in hybrid nature evidently speaks well of its sporting capabilities. In fact, the Karma is a pure series hybrid. That is, its gasoline engine is utterly dedicated to generating electricity; it never contributes directly to the car’s progress down the road. This powerplant is a 2.0-liter 260-bhp turbocharged inline-4, a GM Ecotec with direct injection and, like the 1.4-liter four in the Chevrolet Volt, requiring premium fuel. Its 175-kW generator teams with a 20-kWh lithium-nanophosphate battery pack supplying electricity to a pair of motors mounted aft (of which more anon).
The battery pack can be replenished from an ordinary 110-volt home circuit, what’s today called Level 1 charging. Depleted to its designed lower limit of 10–15-percent maximum capacity, it accepts a Level 1 refill in 10–12 hours, a 220-volt Level 2 recharge in about half this time. Fisker feels that the ability to charge overnight is both a clear necessity and will also be the norm.
A Monroney label—with its abundance of EPA Fuel Economy information—isn’t expected until later this spring with first deliveries. As with any plug-in hybrid, how often it’s plugged in has profound effect on Karma fuel economics. Fisker notes that 100 mpg is achievable. As shown a while back (see “Super Mpg = Super Hype?,” R&T, November 2009), I can easily devise a strategy yielding more than 1000 mpg, however.
...Continued...
<!-- right column --><!-- at a glance --><!-- /at a glance --><!-- car make:http://buyersguide.roadandtrack.com/fisker \nmake state: published \ncar model:http://buyersguide.roadandtrack.com/fisker/karma \nmodel state: published \nshowlink model: \nrelated_items count: 2-->TOP COMPETITORSFisker Karma »
» Overview<!-- » User Ratings -->» Photos & 360° View» Specs» Prices w/Options<!-- » Get Quote -->
<TABLE class=default border=1 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2>2012 Fisker Karma EVer
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>List price </TD><TD vAlign=top>$95,900-$108,900 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Curb weight </TD><TD vAlign=top>est. 4100 lb. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Weight distribution, f/r </TD><TD vAlign=top>47/53 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Wheelbase </TD><TD vAlign=top>124.4 in. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Length </TD><TD vAlign=top>196.7 in. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Width </TD><TD vAlign=top>78.1 in. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Height </TD><TD vAlign=top>52.4 in. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><CENTER>Powertrain</CENTER>
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Type </TD><TD vAlign=top>gasoline/electric series hybrid </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Engine </TD><TD vAlign=top>alum.black&head, dohc turbo 16V I-4 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Displacement </TD><TD vAlign=top>1998 cc </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Bore x stroke </TD><TD vAlign=top>86.0 x 86.0 mm </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Compression ratio </TD><TD vAlign=top>9.2:1 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Horsepower (SAE) </TD><TD vAlign=top>260 bhp @ 5300 rpm </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Torque </TD><TD vAlign=top>260 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Fuel injection </TD><TD vAlign=top>direct </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Recommended fuel </TD><TD vAlign=top>premium </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Transmission </TD><TD vAlign=top>single speed </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Generator </TD><TD vAlign=top>175 kW </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Electric motor </TD><TD vAlign=top>two permanent-magnet motors, liquid cooled </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Horsepower </TD><TD vAlign=top>403 hp combined </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Torque </TD><TD vAlign=top>981 lb-ft from 0 rpm combined </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Battery </TD><TD vAlign=top>A123 lithium-nanophosphate, 20kWh, liquid cooled </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><CENTER>Chassis & Body</CENTER>
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Layout </TD><TD vAlign=top>front engine, twin rear electric motors / rear-wheel drive </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Body/frame </TD><TD vAlign=top>aluminum, glass fiber / aluminum space frame </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Brakes, f/r </TD><TD vAlign=top>14.6-in./14.4-in. vented discs, brake-by-wire, ABS, regen. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Wheels </TD><TD vAlign=top>cast ally; 22x8½ f, 22x9½ r </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Tire </TD><TD vAlign=top>Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar; 255/35WR-22 f, 285/35WR-22 r </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Steering </TD><TD vAlign=top>rack & pinion, variable electro-hydraulic assist </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Steering turns, lock to lock </TD><TD vAlign=top>2.7 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Suspension, f/r </TD><TD vAlign=top>upper & lower A-arms, coil springs, tube shocks, anti-roll bar / upper & lower A-arms, coil springs, load leveling tube shocks, anti-roll bar </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><CENTER>Performance*</CENTER>
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>0-60 mph </TD><TD vAlign=top>Stealth mode 7.9 sec.; Sport mode 5.9 sec. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Top speed </TD><TD vAlign=top>Stealth mode 95 mph; Sport mode 125 mph </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Range, EV/extended </TD><TD vAlign=top>50 miles / 250 miles </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>*Manufacturer claims.
<!-- /rt-col -->
<!-- tags, pager --><!-- Pager -->
<!-- /article-pager-wrapper -->Pages: 1 2Photos
Last edited by Space; 05-18-2011 at 07:29 AM.
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05-19-2011, 12:39 PM
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