Automakers have known for a few years that electric or hybrid vehicles could be designed to appeal not only to tree huggers but to drivers having more in common with Talladega Nights hero Ricky Bobby — those who simply want to go fast.
One of the problems facing designers who tailor a hybrid for high performance instead of long range (aside from the inherent negatives of trading economy for G-force acceleration) is that an electric car doesn’t go “vvroooom!”
Well, they didn’t until now: American carmaker Fisker Automotive told Forbes recently that their upcoming Karma — a plug-in hybrid with a top speed of 125 mph and a sleek design to complement its cute name — will actually have audio speakers wired up to make their car sound, in the words of company head Henrik Fisker, “like something between a Formula One car and a jet plane.”
While that innovation may be largely intended to help thrill-seeking drivers re-create the experience of piloting a gas-guzzling sports car, it also does address a safety concern some observers have raised about electric autos: Pedestrians, particularly the visually impaired, are less able to avoid cars whose speedy approach they can’t hear.
The four-door sport sedan is expected to cost around $80,000. While the manufacturer plans to make 15,000 a year, the entire run for 2009 has already sold out in advance; customers eager to reserve one for delivery in 2010 can do so for $1,000 here.
Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media
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