So, you say, “I want to go Green”!  However, you won’t trade in that SUV or sleek sports car in favor of a the boxy automotive styling of a Toyota Prius.

Well, if great automotive styling is what drives your car purchasing decisions, then Fiskar Automotive has an answer for you with their premium hybrid vehicle named Karma.

The vehicle is designed by Henrik Fisker, among his creations are the Aston Martin DB9, Aston Martin V8 Vantage and BMW Z8.

The Fisker Karma is a four seater plug-in hybrid premium sports sedan that stunned many Americans at the 2008 North American International Auto Show.  Henrik Fisker has taken the automotive hybrid to a new level of performance and style to go along with our planets need that vehicles have zero emissions.

Interior

Fiskar has taken steps towards sourcing automotive materials from environmentally conscious partners.  For example wood trim is sourced from non-living trees such as naturally “fallen trees” as a result of age, and “rescued trees” which stem from naturally occurring wild fires in California.  Another source is “sunken trees” found in lake bottoms.

The automotive glass used in the Karma is made from naturally recyclable sand.  A line of advanced sustainable material series called, “EcoChic,” is based on a completely animal-free approach that includes hand textiles composed of 100% Bamboo Viscose with leaves encased in the EcoGlass.

The Karma’s “EcoSport” series incorporates hand-wrapped premium leather from a partner with a reportedly “100% sustainable manufacturing strategy” that includes “Happy Cow” policies – utilizing over 85% of each hide.

Technical Specifications:

• Plug-in hybrid technology Q DRIVE
• 0-60 in less than 6 seconds (0-100 km/h 6 seconds)
• Top speed 125 mph (200 km/h)
• Two Driving Modes: The driver will be able to select between two modes of driving. The first mode is Stealth Drive, which is the quiet economy mode for optimal relaxed and efficient driving. By flipping the second paddle behind the steering wheel, the car will switch to Sport Drive, which will access the full power of the vehicle.
• Regenerative brakes featured to recapture braking energy
• Low center of gravity provides optimal sport vehicle driving dynamics

Technology

The Karma uses Q-DRIVE plug-in hybrid technology, developed exclusively for Fisker Automotive by Quantum Technologies. A fully-chargedKarma burns no fuel for the first 50 miles. Venture further and the gasoline engine turns a generator to charge the lithium ion battery. Once the 50-mile electric range has been exceeded, the car operates as a normal hybrid vehicle. This balance of electric and gas range makes it entirely possible that Karma drivers who charge their car overnight and commute less than 50 miles a day will achieve an average fuel economy of 100 mpg (2.4L/100km) per year.

According to Fiskar Automotive the Quantum’s Q-Drive system takes full advantage of the   performance potential of electric drive systems while achieving fuel high mileage and low emissions through its integrated plug-in hybrid electric design.

Benefits of Quantum’s drive system include optimized fuel efficiency and superior performance, unchanged gas station infrastructure, and convenient battery recharging with any 110-volt outlet, 220/240-volt fast-charging, or using Quantum’s solar energy powered re-charging station.

Karma Automotive hopes to build 15,000 Karma’s annually with first deliveries starting in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2009.  The Karma is expected to cost about $80,000.

                          

Dedicado a todos los mecanicos que sueñan con ser super-heroes.

                          

Auto Experts Debunk the Out-Dated 3,000 Mile Oil Change

To help save drivers’ time and money, while being environmentally efficient, auto experts are busting industry myths on car maintenance. In fact, most manufacturers recommend more than 5,000 miles between oil changes instead of the traditional 3,000.

Making this adjustment can save eight to ten gallons of oil a year and put as much as $76 back in your pocket. Following new recommendations can also help improve the environment. In some cases, just one gallon of improperly disposed motor oil can contaminate one million gallons of drinking water.

Here are some more of the most common maintenance myths that have been adjusted based on new vehicle technologies:

- Tune-ups. Today’s engines have computer-monitored systems that still need to be checked but don’t need a traditional tune-up every few thousand miles.
- Wheel Alignment. Although it’s important to keep tires properly maintained and inflated, it’s not always necessary to have them aligned every time they are rotated.
- Unnecessary services. Routine maintenance services such as fuel injector cleaning and transmission fluid flushes aren’t necessary as often anymore.

Produced for General Motors