Fisker announces fuel economy estimate for Karma - 67.2 mpg and CO2 emissions of just 83 g/km
by Sebastian Blanco on Sep 8th 2009 at 12:06PM 
Fisker Karma - Click above for high-res image gallery
The miles per gallon rating of a vehicle that can get energy from an electrical outlet is a difficult thing to accurately calculate and get the public to accept. Just ask AFS Trinity, with their "150 mpg" SUVs, or GM with its 230 mpg number for the Chevy Volt. Still, it's valuable to have some sort of number to compare vehicles against one another, and Fisker Automotive has released the first such numbers for its Karma plug-in luxury hybrid: 3.5 liters per 100 kilometers (equivalent to 67.2 mpg U.S.) and CO2 emissions of just 83 grams per kilometer.
Fisker is basing these numbers on SAE methodology for measuring emissions for PHEVs. We're trying to confirm this with Fisker, but we think this means the J1711 methodology, about which you can read more here or in this PDF. (UPDATE: It's actually J2841) In any case, Fisker says that the Karma's CO2 emissions will be, on average, "less than that of today's cleanest production cars and 75 percent less than that of competing vehicles." If the company meets its ambitious goal of selling 15,000 Karmas a year starting when it goes on sale next year and then through 2016, they estimate that 248 million gallons of gasoline will be saved.
Gallery: Fisker Karma
[Source: Fisker]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
dsadasd 1:06PM (9/08/2009)
If no one buys a Fisker and everyone gets a Tesla think of the gallons of gasoline saved!
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unni 1:59PM (9/08/2009)
If no one buys Tesla and tires to bike, think how much electricity saved.
If no one buys Bike and tries to walk , think how much rubber and iron saved
Happens ...
Geoff de Ruiter 2:51PM (9/08/2009)
If no one leaves their bed and dies, think of all the CO2 and earth resources that will be saved :P
In all serious though both points above are valid. Walking and biking is of course better, but people will still like and want cars for recreation. Commuting though is not for cars :)
GoodCheer 4:49PM (9/08/2009)
Does someone have any insight into how those different mileage tests compare...
Would it be a good idea to have a permanent link on the page to mileage comparisons on European, Japanese, EPA, SAE etc. drive cycles?
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omnimoeish 7:12PM (9/08/2009)
Anyone know what the range extended mpg is going to be?
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Chris M 9:06PM (9/08/2009)
Not yet, but I imagine it would be similar to other large luxury hybrids, somewhere between 35 and 45 mpg.
Ghen 8:50AM (9/09/2009)
The shadow on the front of the hood looks very strange to me.
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