Fisker Automotive is probably out of gas, even though its cars aren't supposed to use much gas. It laid off almost all of its workforce except for a skeleton crew of office staff who will try to sell the company or wind it down in bankruptcy. What went wrong with this company?
The Fisker Karma is a nice-looking sports car, but just try fitting inside. The EPA rates it as a subcompact because the interior is so small. I've never heard of a car marketed as a luxury sedan that was actually determined to be a subcompact according to its structure. Oh, let's not forget that the first ones out the door were recalled due to a risk of battery fire. The battery maker, A123 Systems, went bankrupt in 2012 and was bought by a Chinese company. The car broke down on Consumer Reports' track before it even got started with a road test, earning it a failing grade. The thousands of suckers who pre-ordered a Karma will probably never get one; I wonder if they had to pay cash up front.
This reminds me a little of the infamous DeLorean Motor Company from the 1980s. Its singular product, the DMC-12, was as overpriced and unimpressive as the Fisker Karma. The DeLorean legacy only exists today as a spare parts repository and kit car builder for a handful of enthusiasts. Fisker fans can hope for a better outcome, but hope is not a method. The federal government may end up owning Fisker's assets if it can't repay a DOE loan. Good luck getting those parts and tools out of a government warehouse. I have an image in my head of the last scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark, where the U.S. government sticks the Ark of the Covenant into a warehouse where it is presumably lost forever. That Ark was really a superpowered energy source that destroyed whoever tried to use it. Well, the Fisker line of cars was supposed to be pretty powerful but the business ended up destroying a lot of capital. Thus ends my convoluted analysis for today. I hope you were entertained, but hope is not a method.
Full disclosure: I do not own any Fisker products, nor did I ever consider buying such a car. I drive a gas-guzzling Ford Mustang that hums better than any wimpy electric car.
