The Karma Revero is the first production car in the United States to be a solar-powered hybrid.
Karma Revero Officially Announced
It has been a long wait. The last Fisker Karma was built in November of 2012. A year later, Fisker Automotive entered bankruptcy. Its assets were purchased by major Chinese auto parts maker Wangxiang and it was renamed Karma Automotive. The company is now set to begin production of its new Karma Revero.
The Karma Revero Is The Same, But Different
The Karma Revero is very similar (some may say identical) to the Fisker Karma. Like the Fisker, the Revero is a hybrid vehicle, not a pure electric. The Revero comes with a gasoline engine that will recharge the car’s batteries when they get low. The batteries can also be recharged from an external power source.
The Karma Revero is the first production car in the United States to be a solar-powered hybrid. The dark, sleek roof is made up of solar panels. These panels collect sunlight and feed the electrical energy into the high-voltage batteries that power the car. It’s a feature no other electric car has, even the highly-acclaimed Tesla.
According to Jim Taylor, Karma’s Chief Revenue Officer, “Serving a mass market is not, and never will be, our purpose. The Revero is for a discerning group of individuals who desire beautiful, clean vehicles and a memorable ownership experience.”
Karma is targeting the upper echelon of Tesla’s customer base. Those who might be inclined to buy the Tesla Model S may be drawn to the Karma Revero’s extremely stylish and luxurious appointments. The Karma Revero boasts a simple, intuitive infotainment system. It will also have “super-charging capabilities,” according to the company.
A High-End Specialty Car
Taylor puts Karma in the same category as Aston Martin and Maserati. He cites Karma’s precise attention to detail. This includes the hand-painted emblems on the front and rear of every Karma Revero. Tesla’s future Model 3 customers are definitely not the primary target for Karma at this time, although future new models may address the needs of the entry-level luxury car buyer.
Current Fisker Karma owners have been given access to an exclusive website. The site will let them reserve their very own Revero ahead of the official public offer date on September 8th. The Karma Revero has been priced at $115,000, and is slated for release no earlier than the first quarter of 2017.
