Failing to address what car drivers' want can be costly and alternative fuel vehicles are competing fiercely to stake out the market. Manufacturers think drivers want range, though most still commute less than 50 miles and the majority of cars on the road sleep for twenty-three hours a day. When actually asking the lead users in the space, they say they want vehicles that are environmentally and socially responsible yet still perform and feel like a high performance car.
Fisker Automotive with its first model, the Karma, is one of the new innovative car companies that is approaching the challenge of sustainability holistically, from emissions and production all the way to extending the life of the vehicle and addressing the automotive industry's customary designed obsolescence. Fisker's small team of freethinking, risk-taking, experienced automotive professionals, mostly from the stable of BMW, is now racing to fail fast and fail forward to develop original solutions to these challenges.
As one might expect of rebels from "The Ultimate Driving Machine," the core of their value proposition is a revolutionary electrical and combustion engine control system that reduces carbon emissions down to 47 CO2 g/km. In comparison, a 2012 Prius has a carbon emission of 77 CO2 g/km, with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates of average passenger car emissions in the United States for July 2000 at 258 g/km. The option of both charging electrically and using fuel provides maximum flexibility for the user since a high percentage of the time they will be driving electrically.
Sustainable driving extends from emission management into the experience of the cabin. Leather is from a no landfill, low impact closed looped tannery and wood trim is from reclaimed wood. The classic styling and responsible use of resources makes the driver feel good about their driving choice.
The dynamic styling by Henrik Fisker, the founder and also the creative genius behind the James Bond cars: BMW Z8, Aston Martin V8 Vantage and Aston Martin DB9, is what makes one want to keep this vehicle forever and let one's grandchildren inherit the family machine. Intentionally designing the Karma to express a subtle reinterpretation of classic proportions, surfaces and details provides the vehicle with an enduring classic car feel and makes it stand out as a "Radical Classic."
Building a new automotive company from the ground up has always been fraught with challenges, including financing and technical issues. Thus far, about two thousand Karmas have been manufactured and production is now on hold as these challenges are being resolved and the corporation makes the transition from a startup to a mature corporation. A process, which will enable continued introduction of new models to an increasingly wider audience.
Breakthrough innovation is never inexpensive, especially in the beginning, and with a sticker price of about US$110K, the Karma is clearly not within everyone's budget. However, the next model, the Atlantic, projected at US$60K will leverage the knowledge and experience gained from the Karma as well as the advantage of scale. Even more significant may be the challenge that the Karma poses to fellow car designers and car manufacturers to rethink their vehicles holistically from beginning to end and thus to take a chance on designing something truly memorable and sustainable that still can make an impact on the heart of the car aficionado.