Fisker Karma

[EV_de]

do the Karma use a Mennekes Plug to charge ?

 

[Robert.Boston]

My first thought looking at the picture was, "Hey, that Karma is siphoning off power from the Roadster!"

 

[doug]

Battery Pictures

 

[Mitrovic]

 

[doug]

looking back, the interior of this car really improved:

 

[AnOutsider]

Oh god, the current interior is a masterpiece in comparison. That concept interior looks like it was ripped out of an 80's scifi flick

 

[doug]

Some drama:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/03/13/BUP01NJNS4.DTL

Karma 'wasn't ready'

John Hoffman, store manager for Coda of Silicon Valley, used to sell the Karma, the $107,000 advanced hybrid car from Fisker Automotive. But the car was prone to software glitches, he said. Of five Karmas delivered to his dealership in Marin County in January, four developed problems almost immediately.

The far more modest Coda sedan, Hoffman said, doesn't have those issues. "I think it's going to be a real win for the electric vehicle," he said. The Karma, he said, "is a phenomenal car, but it just wasn't ready to come to market."

Newsroom - Fisker - Press Release

The San Francisco Chronicle identified the source of this information as John Hoffman, the store manager for Coda of Silicon Valley. Other sites, such asGigaOm, identified the source only as a former Fisker employee that now works for Coda. Given that Mr. Hoffman formerly worked at a Fisker retailer and now works at a Coda dealership and because the timing and nature of these statements are similar to those made in the San Francisco Chronicle article, we believe that the unidentified “insider” quoted byGigaOm and other sites is, in fact, Mr. Hoffman.

 

[AnOutsider]

Regardless of the source, the proof is in the pudding. There are some early adopters willing to put up with some issues, but the car really isn't ready for prime time in my opinion. The CR breakdown, the stranding of at least 2 owners, reports of dashes and speedos going "dark" while driving -- if it wasn't rushed, what was it?

If Tesla comes to market with issues those serious, I fully expect them to also take some well-deserved s$$t for it.

 

[SByer]

Oh god, the current interior is a masterpiece in comparison. That concept interior looks like it was ripped out of an 80's scifi flick

Remember when we used the phrase 'Atari dashboard' to dis the GM vehicles with EFL displays? Yeah, that.

 

[dsm363]

Just saw my first Fisker Karma in the wild. Was driving the other way while I was in my Roadster so just had enough time to recognize what kind of car it was. I didn't have time to hear the Tron sound though.

 

[SByer]

First take review from Consumer Reports:

First drive video: 2012 Fisker Karma

 

[Lloyd]

Ouch, but I did not really expect any more!

 

[doug]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

Just this weekend, for example, the speedometer and energy meter display disappeared when driving, on top of having several other rogue warning indicators appear last week. It is expected we'll be revisiting the dealership soon. We've had cars in the past that have been troublesome, but never anything like this.

[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Good thing that didn't happen to Consumer Reports at night, since apparently it also cuts the headlights when that happens. [/FONT]

 

[dpeilow]

Fisker Karma involved in new $55m battery replacement program from A123 *UPDATE

 

[smoothoperator]

Seems like Fisker has been getting a bad rap due to supplier issues:

Visteon & A123

 

[doug]

Fisker Karma involved in new $55m battery replacement program from A123 *UPDATE

I read that earlier here: Newsroom - Fisker - Press Release

Hmm. I wonder if this works to Fisker's advantage. They get to pass a lot of the reliability blame on to A123. Odd how they frame the whole thing as an upgrade in customer service.

 

[doug]

Seems like Fisker has been getting a bad rap due to supplier issues:


Visteon & A123

Add to that some bad splines from Chinese motor manufacturer Jing-Jin.

The rap is all Fisker's though. It's up to them to do reliability testing and the Visteon problems at least had to have been known bugs when they shipped.

 

[smorgasbord]

These posts in the FiskerBuzz forums struck me as, well, interesting:

The car has stranded me, locked me in the car, left the backup warning beeping. Beginnining to lose patience with the software update promised

Sorry cant recommend the car. Can't tell you how sorry I am to type this. Wanted to buy a nina for my daughter. No way

If you get the backup warning beeping while driving, make a bluetooth phone call and it'll go away. Hope you get the software update soon so you can be as happy as I am with my Karma. I'm so ready to view the Nina. I think it might be our next Fisker. I'm hoping to replace my wife's car with it.

and:

even if it was a brick I would have AAA drop the car off at Flemmings in Newport and all problems would go away the second I hear 5 inch heels tapping the concrete telling how amazing the car is.. wait till the bar closes and have AAA take me home..

 

[AnOutsider]

Form over function (well, I guess picking up ladies has some function haha)

I'm going next Thursday to hopefully see the Nina and learn what they plan for it. I don't think Fisker can survive on just the karma (and the forgiving base of users) alone. Well, I guess some really premium brands like Bentley and such survive on low volume, so it's possible, but their odds will be better with a cheaper, more reliable car IMO.

 

[dpeilow]

A busy charging station in NL.