This stunning, American-made plug-in hybrid is powered by its solar-panel roof
Don't call it a comeback; the Karma has been here for years.
On Thursday morning, the fledgling Southern California-based carmaker Karma Automotive revealed the first photo of its "new" model, the Revero. Along with swoop-y body lines and four doors, the Revero features a plug-in hybrid powertrain as well as a solar-panel roof that supplies power to its onboard batteries -- a first for the American market.
Now, the Revero isn't exactly new or old. That's because it's essentially the Fisker Karma that debuted in 2011 to take on the Tesla Model S. However, that company in late 2013 famously folded and filed for bankruptcy.
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After a long, rough road, the Karma is back. Along the way, it lost the Fisker moniker but gained a redesigned infotainment system and "super-charging" capabilities. What's more, Karma finishes off every Revero with hand-painted emblems bolted to both the front and rear of the car.
I am glad to see the Karma live on. That said, I hope the new company leaders did more than just (kind of) change the name and update the human machine interface.
The Fisker Karmas famously leaked battery fluid, which caused them to fail -- sometimes while driving down the road. So, hopefully the engineers spruced up to the powertrain, too.
Interestingly, Karma is opening up the order books for the Revero to current Fisker Karma owners before the general public can get their paws on it. This is an intriguing choice.
Not only was the Fisker Karma incredibly unreliable, they also cost $100,000. That means most of them have been left very heavy and incredibly expensive paperweights.
I wonder how many people there are who essentially threw away $100,000+ on a Fisker are keen to plop down another large sum on the second try. Few, I suspect.
Regardless, the full unveiling of the Revero is on Sept. 8, 2016. Check back in for more detailed Revero information then.
Topics Cars
