Autocar RSS Feed: Karma Revero headed to Europe with enhanced hybrid powertrain

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Karma Revero headed to Europe with enhanced hybrid powertrain Nov 22nd 2017, 10:50 Petrol-electric sports car is claimed to run with help from the sun's energy; it's a four-door rival to the Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Karma is updating its Revero hybrid sports car with ambitions to export the model into Asia and Europe for the first time. New spy pictures show that the four-door coupé, a petrol-electric rival to the Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, will get adjustments to its front and rear but that its overall bodyshape will stay true to the Karma of defunct car maker Fisker, of which the Revero is essentially a successor. Karma chief revenue officer Jim Taylor has previously told Autocar that the Revero's delayed entry into Europe (including the UK) and Asia - it's been on sale in the US for 14 months - was always part of the business plan. Prices for the current car start at $130,000 (£98,124) in its domestic market. The current Revero uses solar panels located on its roof that can power the car's electrified powertrain. Solar panels can be seen on the roof of the spotted development car, so expect improvements to their efficiency with the facelifted model. "The energy collected from the solar panels is supplied directly to the car's high-voltage battery, which in turn powers the electric motors," Taylor explained when asked how they work on the current model. "Our solar panels are twice as powerful as the original [Fisker] ones." While no charge time for the solar roof was revealed, Taylor suggested that strong Californian sunshine would enable owners to leave their car parked outside all day and return to it with noticeably more charge. "We're still a long way off from being able to charge it up significantly in a few hours, but if you left your car parked in an airport car park for a couple of days, you'd see more energy," added Taylor. The input of the sun's energy is displayed on the Revero's infotainment system, so drivers can see when energy is being captured, even on the move. The current Revero uses a 260bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and twin electric motor set-up, with some parts supplied by BMW. It is claimed to be capable of running in full electric mode for up to 50 miles, but Karma is understood to be pushing for a raised EV range in the facelift in order to satisfy even more stringent real-world tests. As a hybrid model, the Karma Revero straddles the line between all-electric rivals such as the Tesla Model S and more conventional alternatives such as the Porsche Panamera. Porsche's future Mission E production model could also be an eventual rival, as could the recently revealed Polestar 1. Karma Automotive has been built upon the remains of Fisker Automotive, which closed for business in 2013 due to a lack of funding. With new Chinese owner Wanxiang Group providing a stronger financial backing to the renamed Karma, insiders are anticipating a more productive future for the American company.

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