Karma announces its GS-6 hybrid sports car
Electric vehicle startup Karma Automotive has unveiled its latest GS-6 hybrid that shares the same design with the luxury sedan Revero GT, except that it is nearly half the price of the Revero GT, in an effort to reach a much wider range of customers.
If the new car succeeds, Karma Automotive could achieve its goal of becoming a small-scale manufacturer in time to tap into a new wave of optimism and finance in the electric vehicle business.
The startup was set up in 2014 when the Chinese automobile Wanxiang Group bought a large portion of Fisker Automotive's assets after it went bankrupt.
Karma Automotive has spent the last few years selling a small number of Revero hybrids for nearly $ 150,000 as it struggles to get back on its feet.
The GS-6's primary goal appears to be to help Karma Automotive out of this turmoil by attracting a wider group of buyers.
The car is powered by a three-cylinder BMW engine equipped with a turbocharger and two electric motors that generate a total of about 536 horsepower.
The 28 kW battery pack allows for driving up to 80 miles on electricity alone.
The interior features a touch screen in the center of the dashboard, which is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a digital driver kit.
The company says:
It offers plenty of sustainable materials for trim and seats as well, in an effort to attract eco-conscious buyers.
Karma Automotive is selling the GS-6's Sport and Luxury variants, and an all-electric version - dubbed the GSe-6 - is due to be launched at a later date with a starting price of $ 79,900.
The company said it hopes to target younger buyers across the lower price point, with a total production capacity of 15,000 cars per year at the California plant.
The company has spent time and money developing autonomous technology, but the technology is not expected to reach the startup's passenger cars anytime soon.
The GS-6 package includes optional driver auxiliary features such as: adaptive cruise control and lane keeping.
The company has contributions to other advanced technologies as well, developing a way to use hydrogen and methanol fuel cells to power electric vehicles in the future.
It hopes to sell the technology platform that powers its cars to other automakers, and is developing an SUV as well.