Fisker and Quantum Preview High-End Plug-In Hybrid
31 October 2007
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| Fisker Automotive plug-in hybrid electric four-door sports sedan. |
Fisker Coachbuild, LLC and Quantum Technologies provided initial details on the $80,000, four-door plug-in hybrid premium sports sedan that will debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. (Earlier post.)
The car is the first production vehicle to come from Fisker Automotive, Inc. Initial deliveries will commence in the 4th quarter of 2009 with annual production projected to reach 15,000 cars.
Certification, testing and drivetrain development will be conducted by joint venture partner Quantum Technologies. The car is being designed to offer a full 50 miles (80 km) all-electric range. A gasoline or diesel engine will extend the range of the Fisker plug-in to more than 620 miles (1,000 km). The battery pack will sit at the center of the vehicle between the two axles.
This positioning provides optimal vehicle driving dynamics, maximum safety, proportionate design as well as industry standard performance figures within this car class.
—Henrik Fisker, CEO of Fisker Automotive, Inc.
Quantum has invested in and is partnering with Advanced Lithium Power Ltd. (ALP) in the development and application of lithium-ion battery packs and management systems for plug-in hybrids.
Additionally, Fisker Automotive announced that it had appointed former BMW engineer Thomas Fritz as Director of Engineering.
Truly a thing of beauty! Did Fisker design the body himself or was it someone else?
First link not working btw
Posted by: Scatter | 31 October 2007 at 10:02 AM
Ah yes "Fisker Coachbuild"
Posted by: Scatter | 31 October 2007 at 11:01 AM
this not a car but a caricature, totally useless
Posted by: Treehugger | 31 October 2007 at 11:15 AM
I'm not sure about the grinning grill, and I think it definitely needs different wheels on the production car. . . but otherwise it's beautiful. This is a knockout car. Not sure what problem "Treehugger" has with it. Caricature of what? Would you prefer an Aptera?
Posted by: Tony Belding | 31 October 2007 at 11:34 AM
I doubt they can meet those specs for $80K. But cars like this are regularly run 50% or more above base price since everyone takes options.
Posted by: K | 31 October 2007 at 11:55 AM
80.000
55.000 Euro, can i buy this car in europe?
Posted by: itsme | 31 October 2007 at 12:48 PM
Considering that I’m buying a BMW 320cd for 54000€ after some options. Maybe I should wait for the next generation of hybrids. Interesting times we’re living.
Posted by: MH | 31 October 2007 at 02:04 PM
I love it. It does 100 mpg, 50 miles all electric, has 4 seats, run 620 miles on a tank of gasoline and it looks good. In my opinion the design is on par with Tesla’s high level but this car is simply more useful because of range and the ability to fill it up on gasoline in case you need to.
This is a big scoop for Advanced Lithium Power.
This is a link to their press release.
http://www.fiskerautomotive.com/pdf/LEAD%20THE%20FUTURE%20WITH%20FISKER%20AUTOMOTIVE.pdf
Posted by: Henrik | 31 October 2007 at 04:04 PM
You've got to ask how long the battery warranty is for...
Posted by: marcus | 31 October 2007 at 05:30 PM
step in the right direction. looks kinda nice in a weird way
Posted by: marc | 31 October 2007 at 05:41 PM
Looks like James Bond's new car is here.
Posted by: Cervus | 31 October 2007 at 05:55 PM
The look is all about excessivness and awfully conservative. What's the point of such long hood on a 2 seaters, does it help to reduce the drag ? I heard claim that they target 100MPG, would be curious to see how they achieve that, but if it's true then I will forgive the big-boob-babe impress style
Posted by: Treehugger | 31 October 2007 at 07:20 PM
"What's the point of such long hood on a 2 seaters"
It has 4 doors.
Posted by: | 31 October 2007 at 07:35 PM
Wow.
I hope they make that. I cannot see myself buying it but if they can sell a car that looks like that with those specs I am sure it will sell. Fiskers other cars sell for much more.
Posted by: hampden wireless | 31 October 2007 at 09:48 PM
I'm in love!
Posted by: Elliot | 01 November 2007 at 08:40 AM
Broken link fixed.
Posted by: Mike | 01 November 2007 at 08:59 AM
No problem meeting specs for $80k, but selling 15,000 per year will be tough. A trusted brand like Mercedes or Lexus can sell that many at that price point, but these guys are unknown. People prize rarity at Fisker's current $250k price points, but as you move downmarket the obscurity premium becomes a discount.
The 100 mpg claim is "PHEV mpg", of course, not real mpg. Pretty car, though.
Posted by: doggydogworld | 01 November 2007 at 08:59 AM
@ Treehugger -
except for Hollywood publicity hounds and Silicon Valley gadget freaks no-one will spend that kind of money on any type of vehicle that doesn't look the part. This particular vehicle will be competing with the likes of the Maserati Quattroporte and the Porsche Panamera, not a Toyota Corolla. And if Fisker doesn't reach its volume targets, those manufacturers will not feel compelled to develop their own PHEV or BEV driveline options. How would that advance the transition away from large, powerful and gas-guzzling ICEs?
Traditionally, a long hood has implied a large, expensive engine and therefore a large bank balance, which is presumably where the big-boob-babe factor comes in. The typically conservative customers of high-end cars are just not ready yet for the kind of exterior design cues that would clearly identify their car as having electric propulsion. If their peer group gives BEVs the thumbs up, expect exterior designers to become more adventurous.
Cp. also Tesla Roadster and Lightning GT.
Besides, the hood on this one actually isn't all that long and, it does have a renge extender ICE under there. The front 1/3 of the car typically also serves as a crumple zone in a head-on collision. Large corporations can by now shrink the required length by applying advanced CAE, materials and joining technology but small start-ups simply cannot afford that.
Posted by: Rafael Seidl | 01 November 2007 at 09:16 AM
Cervus
Fisker actually designed the BMW Z8 for the Bond movie The World Is Not Enough.
Posted by: Henrik | 01 November 2007 at 01:11 PM
If it meets claims... awesome, I want one.
Too bad I don't have $80k to spend on a car.
Do this with a variable compression turbo 4cyl and keep RWD ... for $30k and I'm there
--Ash
Posted by: Ash | 01 November 2007 at 01:35 PM
fugly
Posted by: curious | 01 November 2007 at 02:07 PM
I live in a community of ~200 homes. 50 of them drive a mercedes S-Class, a BMW 7 Series, 50 and Audi A8, and 50 a Lexus LS. Most of them also keep an SL 63, M3, F430, or Porsche in the garage.
I know most of the residents and can safely say that, given the option, they would gladly pay $80K for a "green" and "exclusive" car such as this Fisker. It would be the ultimate boon for them to say "This car can do 0-60 in 4 seconds and this one gets 100mpg"
Not bragging, just trying to give some insight...
Posted by: GreenPlease | 01 November 2007 at 04:48 PM
Exactly. Make a halo car like this, then PHEV technology will become more desired. Even if they main motivator is that people desire the body of the car (then impressed by specs), so be it. It's a means to an end. I hope the next Supra is similar.
The main thing that's going to hold this car back is that it's made by an unknown first timer. If BMW would back Fiskers and sell it in their dealerships with a traditional warranty, maybe a BMW badge (not necessary), then these will sell out fast. They've got the emotions going, they just need to make a practical "ease of ownership appeal."
Posted by: Elliot | 01 November 2007 at 05:17 PM
It is unlikely that Fisker would develop the chassis for this vehicle from the ground up, IMO. I wonder if Fisker is teaming up with a major OEM such as BMW. The proportions appear similar to upcoming CS and the delivery time table is similar to the next-gen 7 series.
As I understand it, the next-gen 7 series is supposed to use a modified version of the e65 chassis. Perhaps that platform is highly modular. Any MEs in the know care to chime in? (Rafael, bump...)
Warranty issues are less of an issue to this market than one would think, btw. As I understand it, the Fisker Latigo is serviced by BMW and the Tramonto is serviced by Mercedes. If the range extender Fisker chooses is from either of those product lines, service should not be an issue.
Posted by: GreenPlease | 01 November 2007 at 06:46 PM
The long hood could also serve some other than aesthetic functions: put enough of the mechanicals or batteries under it to weight the car favorably and then put the rest underneath the rear seat to try to get that 50/50 balance. With the rest of the space there put some luggage space.
Posted by: Michael | 01 November 2007 at 08:19 PM