Fisker defends $528 million Department of Energy loan

2010 Fisker Karma

As reported by egmCarTech.com earlier this week, Fox News had reported, in a somewhat skewed manner, on the nearly $530 million Energy Department loan received by Fisker automotive. The Irvine, Calif. based company plans to assemble its $89,000 Karma abroad, though none of the funds will be spent outside of the U.S., as most of the work on the car, including engineering, will be done in Pontiac, Mich. In a statement defending itself against the accusations thrown by Fox, Fisker said “The Karma has been designed and engineered in the U.S. with the majority (65 percent by cost) of its parts sourced from American suppliers,”. Regarding the assembly of the Karma, they also had this to say, reports Detroit News, “Fisker Automotive searched for a U.S. plant to assemble the Karma, but none were willing or able to build the 15,000 of these advanced vehicles per year Fisker required.”.

While the first generation Karma will be assembled in Finland, by a third-party company, the second generation will be a completely American affair. The company is also working on a more affordable hybrid, dubbed ‘Project NINA’, that is set to be built in America at a retooled assembly plant starting in 2012. Engineering on the car has already begun.

Fisker however, did not address the allegations of being backed by Al Gore.

2010 Fisker Karma:

2010 Fisker Karma

– By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Detroit News