Posted on 05/15/2008 12:48:43 PM PDT by Red Badger
We love our green sports cars here at Inhabitat, and we have plenty of room on our favorites list for more than one. While we’ve been raving for the last two years about the Tesla Roadster, the Fisker Karma has been doing the one thing Tesla has yet to do: bring a hybrid sports car to market. Created by noted car designer Henrik Fisker, the ultra cool Karma is a sleek, power packed eco-luxury ride.
The Karma’s performance specs rev out at 0-60 mph in 6 seconds, and a top speed of 125 mph. At $80,000 USD, The car is a plug-in hybrid based on technology of Quantum Technologies. The Q DRIVE consists of a small gasoline engine which in turn charges the lithium battery packs in the car. According to Fisker, if charged properly, the hybrid would need to use no more than a fuel tank per year, quite a claim!
Now before you think that the Fisker is just a concept vehicle, Wired managed to get some pics of the Fisker Karma in action. Here’s hoping that soon we can have two really cool sports cars that show that being green can be done at maximum speed.
You betcha! My next vehicle is going to be an H3. Won't see me bowing down to the envirowhackos! Every time someone buys a clown car, the envirwhackos win.
But you wouldn’t get that smug, self-righteous feeling of innate intellectual superiority as you drive!.............
Sure I can...right after I run over the top of your itty bitty car after you mistakenly decided to show off your smug, self-righteous feeling of innate intellectual superiority... ; )
I think this is because Hollyweird and all the rich liberals finally realized that the Prius is one of the ugliest cars ever unleashed on the masses. Now they can roll up to the red carpet and go clubbing without looking like a goober in a car shaped like a sea shell.
Good call by Fisker.
I think this is because Hollyweird and all the rich liberals finally realized that the Prius is one of the ugliest cars ever unleashed on the masses. Now they can roll up to the red carpet and go clubbing without looking like a goober in a car shaped like a sea shell.
Good call by Fisker.
I’m beginning to miss our old 1971 Datsun 510 station wagon. It got 30+ mpg and it lasted over 200,000 miles.
It's pretty sweet, until it dies and you're left at park height with 100 miles to go. Very rough ride.
There’s a difference between bowing down to envirowhackos and being conservative with money and fuel.
I have cut my fuel use by about 20%, every dollar I save stays in my wallet and out of the hands of third world tyrants.
Well, yeah-—My guys build my big block Jimmies for about 4,500.00 bucks——they get at LEAST 9 MPG in my trucks, which I can get into w/o squatting. I can burn a lot of 5 dollar Soddie gas before I wish I’d spent the money on an electric Krautcan. And there’s no argument about who can get to 60 first-—just have to wait for the road to catch up with my wheels.
Yeah, but the Lotus Elise was no Tesla. Tesla was a breakthrough.
It has more modern batteries, a more modern engine and more modern electronics, but otherwise it's an electric Elise with a carbon fiber body (which has also been done). The breakthrough was actually getting people to buy it.
If you want economy, you gotta pay for it!
>> It has more modern batteries, a more modern engine and more modern electronics, but otherwise it’s an electric Elise with a carbon fiber body (which has also been done). <<
Take it one step further, why don’t you?: It’s got more complex mechanisms inside, but otherwise it’s beer can.
It’s a nice car, but it’s evolutionary, not revolutionary.
No kidding!
No, actually the power system IS revolutionary. Lithium ion batteries had never before had much industrial purpose, because they were too small to generate significant force. Using thousands of cells together is exactly the kind of little idea that creates revolution... Without Li-ion batteries, an electric car has never been truly feasible; with them, electric cars will someday dominate the American road.
Li-ion batteries not only give the Tesla a useful range, but they also charge up fast enough that after driving from 8 ‘till noon, you can charge up over lunch, and drive until dinner.
At $80,000, you’re not paying for your own car, but also for the construction of a Phase II roll-out. The eventual price of a Li-ion car will be closer to $40,000. At $10,000 extra (compare to a Camry), you’ll recover your investment in just a few years.
Yes I see Robin.
That’s soooo gay!............
Using thousands of cells together is exactly the kind of little idea that creates revolution... http://www.killacycle.com
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