Detroit '09: Fisker Karma S
The atmosphere is electric at the Detroit Show...
Detroit may have once been home to the muscle car, but these days oomph seems to be measured in volts and not horses. Everyone at the Detroit show was clambering to show off their green credentials and new manufacturer Fisker was no exception.
The Karma plug-in hybrid saloon has been around for a while but this time the company was showing off an SL-rival in the form of the Karma S. It is a hardtop/convertible. The good news is it could sell for as little as £60,000, boasts a lightweight aluminium spaceframe chassis and is RWD.
As well as a 260bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine there is an electric motor in the back and a number of lithium ion batteries, which arguably gives you the best of all worlds. It all amounts to 397bhp, which gives the car a 0-60mph figure of 5.8 seconds and a top speed of 125mph.
In terms of range the car can cover 50 miles in ‘stealth mode’ – battery-powered only – and is equivalent to 100mpg. There are also varying modes the car can be used in that should provide decent mpg matched with strong performance.
It is not clear yet whether the Fisker will come to the UK but RHD is being considered.
Thanks to EcoGeek for the vid
If the motor is connected the engine side of the gearbox, then I'd agree that it must be a heavy bd though.
Ali.
Given that over 100bhp of that is from the motor (as opposed to engine), therefore flat torque 'curve', it cannot be that peaky.
So ... how much does this puppy weigh?
Oli.
Cheers
Given that over 100bhp of that is from the motor (as opposed to engine), therefore flat torque 'curve', it cannot be that peaky.
So ... how much does this puppy weigh?
Oli.
Cheers
http://www.claverton-energy.com/download/289/
They aren't messing about with the batteries - we desperately need them (ok apart from maybe Saudi Arabia)
Interesting point about the sound these things could make - the efficiency and oil displacement gains are from the battery use on the boring commute/school run/trip to the shops/whatever. For a long drive or a back road you can use pretty much whatever engine you like. Fisker are using the GM 2litre turbo (similar to the VX220 and Europa?) because I think they wanted to keep costs down and wanted to share experience with GM and the Volt. I'd personally like to see DiesOtto in some form, but if you've got the cash what about a small 6, 8 or even 12 like the Italians used to build? F40 was under 3litre and the EB110 was a 3.5litre I think.
Also, I got an email from Mark Barratt at UCL. I won't repeat a commercial link here but EDF are forming a new company that lets you use public recharging points as much as you want for a flat fee of 100 quid a year.
A question - I'm an energy analyst/engineer not an automotive engineer. I suspect quite a few of you are though. What would the implications be of putting an electric motor on each wheel? Would it necessarily affect unsprung mass?
Cheers
It would be possible. The unsprung mass issue would depend upon whether you put the motor outside of the suspension (in which case it would be part of the unsprung mass), or inside driving through a CV joint or similar (in which case it wouldn't be part of the unsprung mass.)
What's behind the question?
Oli.
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