Fisker's New Atlantic Mid-Size Hybrid Reportedly Pushed Back to Late 2014 or 2015

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Fisker has announced today that it will be providing a glimpse of its future at the upcoming 2012 New York Auto Show, and just to heat things up has also released this teaser image.

No other details have been released though it’s widely expected that the teaser image is for Fisker’s follow-up to the Karma, the highly anticipated Project Nina.

Project Nina is only a code name for the new model, which like the Karma will be a range-extended electric sedan.

Unlike the Karma, however, Project Nina will be built in the U.S. and will be significantly more affordable, though it still won’t be cheap. Pricing should be similar to the $57,400 ($49,900 after tax credits) starting price of its main rival, the Tesla Model S.

Note, Project Nina won’t be a single model but rather a family of different boydstyles all using a variation of the same range-extended electric drivetrain found in the Karma. The first model will be a mid-size luxury sedan about the same size as a BMW 3-Series or Mercedes-Benz C Class.

The development of Project Nina has not been without its own hurdles. Fisker was recently forced to stop work on its plant in Delaware and lay off 26 employees after the Department of Energy blocked access to federal loans due to what it claims are several contractual milestones that are yet to be met by the Californian startup. Despite this, production of Project Nina is expected to get underway around the end of the year.

The first press day of the 2012 New York Auto Show is April 4, so we don’t have long to wait now until the covers come off Fisker’s future model.

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1...york-auto-show

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Who wants to wait until the official unveiling of the Fisker Nina plug-in hybrid next week when we can see spy shots right this second? Neither do we.

So, what do the shots reveal? For starters, we can see that the Nina is indeed shorter than its Karma big brother. This is expected, but the impression we have is that the Karma's design language translates quite well into a vehicle about the size of a BMW 5 Series. The front end, too, sports a moustache-like grille that's similar to the one on the Karma. On the back side, the "EVer" badge is still proudly in place, but the non-functional diamond-shaped exhaust outlets are missing. The four-door sedan's rear doors have the handles hidden smoothly between the window and the C-pillar. Then there are the wheels. It's hard to miss those. If you want to compare the Nina with the Karma directly, open the gallery above as well as this gallery in another tab and click away.

The problem with these images is that they still don't tell us much about the car itself. We've heard the cost for the Nina, which is supposed to be powered by a BMW four-cylinder engine, will be about the same as a top-of-the-line BMW 3 Series. That implies something north of $45,000, despite what Vice President Joe Biden said back in October of 2009: "It looks like a four-door Ferrari, I can't believe it's only going to be $40,000." We'll hopefully know more when we get to the New York Auto Show next week.

After all the problems Fisker has had with the Karma launch and the DOE loan, it's important to remember that it's the vehicle you see above that the DOE has been helping with all along. Do you like where your tax dollars have gone?

http://green.autoblog.com/2012/03/29...w-york-reveal/

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Here it is, folks. This is the car that was under cover in the spy shots we showed you a few days ago, and it's going to be called the Fisker Atlantic when it debuts this week at the New York Auto Show. These two images of the car appeared today on a Czech website, and the rear shot clearly shows a license plate bearing the name "Atlantic."

Previously called Project Nina, the Atlantic will slot in Fisker's fledgeling lineup below the Karma, and reportedly cost considerably less. While any talk of pricing is just a guess at this point, rumor has it the Atlantic will be about half the price of the Karma, putting it squarely in the $45,000-$55,000 range. It's a plug-in series hybrid, just like its big brother, but the Atlantic will reportedly use a turbocharged four-cylinder from BMW as its range-extending generator.

We'll have more detailed information about the Atlantic when it officially debuts at the New York Auto Show this week, so come back for our live show coverage on Wednesday and Thursday, April 4-5.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/01/p...es-leak-early/

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Fisker’s follow-up to the Karma, the highly-anticipated Project Nina, has been revealed ahead of its official world debut on Wednesday at the 2012 New York Auto Show thanks to an online leak of two new images.

The images, posted by CAR, not only reveal Fisker’s Project Nina in its entirety but also confirm the “Atlantic” name for the car.

A close look at the license plate attached to the rear bumper shows the Atlantic name.

Project Nina was only a running code-name for the Atlantic, which like its Karma big brother will come powered by a range-extended electric drivetrain. The Atlantic will produce significantly less power than the 408-horsepower Karma, however, and will rely on a BMW-sourced engine, possibly a diesel, for its range-extending duties.

Another major difference between the two is that the Atlantic will be built in the U.S. and will be significantly more affordable, though it still won’t be cheap. Pricing should be similar to the $57,400 ($49,900 after tax credits) starting price of its main rival, the Tesla Model S.

Note, the Atlantic won’t be a standalone model for long as it is expected to spawn a family of different boydstyles. The first model is this mid-size luxury sedan, which is about the same size as a BMW 3-Series or Mercedes-Benz C Class, but eventually a wagon-like crossover and even a two-door coupe are likely to be launched.

The development of the Atlantic has not been without any hurdles. Fisker was recently forced to stop work and lay off employees at its plant in Delaware, which is scheduled to start building the car towards the end of the year. And just last week A123 Systems, Fisker’s main battery supplier, announced a recall of its U.S.-manufactured lithium-ion battery after a fault was discovered when several owners of the Karma couldn’t start their cars.

The 2012 New York Auto Show opens to the press on Wednesday, so we don’t have long to wait now until the covers officially come off Fisker’s next model.

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1...d-the-atlantic

[Happy]

49k is still cheaper than a loaded 335i. could be a winner if they pack it full of options and it doesn't catch on fire.

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Overheard at the reveal event for the Fisker Atlantic this evening: This is the car you buy your secretary.

Yes, the altogether good-looking Atlantic sets a new high for plug-in hybrid looks, and even though Fisker is tight-lipped about things like all-electric range, cost or an estimated delivery date, for now the car speaks for itself. All anyone would tell us is that the Atlantic will come in at "a much lower price point than the Karma," as Fisker executive chairman Henrik Fisker put it, suggesting something in the range of the Audi A5 or "the upper end of the BMW 3 Series." So, $45,000? In any case, Fisker seems to have learned its lesson with the Karma situation/delay, and is keeping mum about its future plans.

One thing Fisker was very happy to talk about was that the Atlantic is a car that will be built and will go into production. It is "a promise we are going to deliver," he said.

Whenever the Atlantic arrives, it is most likely going to be incredibly similar to what we see in the pictures here (and in recent spy shots). Fisker said that his company does not do concepts – see how little the Karma changed between auto show reveal and showroom. And that's fine by us. The lines and angles of the little Karma might be too busy for some, but in person they most certainly work. One thing to note is that in person the headlights have a frozen/frosted look that offers an 'eagle eye' with a strength of strong character not seen on a production car before," the Fisker press release says.

Despite the off-hand suggestion from the peanut gallery that this is a car for those with a bit of money to throw around, Fisker repeatedly emphasized the practicality of the Atlantic. For one thing, it will have the second-generation EVer (Electric Vehicle with extended range) powertrain that incorporates a BMW four-cylinder gasoline engine, because, Fisker said, "range equals freedom." He also showed the gathered media how the rear seats fold down and called it "a pure family vehicle." Must be nice to be in that family.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/03/f...new-york-2012/

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Atlantic design prototype confirms Fisker Automotive's bold future direction
Uncompromised styling reinforcing commitment to exquisite design Four-door sporting sedan with a luxurious and practical interior
Driven by Fisker's advanced EVer powertrain technology: electric car with extended-range freedom
Rear-wheel drive with all-wheel drive option
Atlantic marks Fisker's next step in its transition from start-up automaker to mainstream American manufacturer

New York, 3 April 2012 – Fisker Automotive is pleased to unveil its all-new model, the Atlantic sedan. This is the latest model in the company‟s expanding line up of extended-range luxury electric cars.

Revealed as a design prototype at a special VIP preview event the night before the New York Auto Show press days begin, the Fisker Atlantic design prototype is a luxury four-door sporting sedan with a practical interior. It is aimed at young families who want to drive an impactful, high- end vehicle while making a positive statement about responsibilities - both in terms of their commitment to sustainability and the practicalities of everyday life.

The Atlantic uses the latest second generation EVer (Electric Vehicle with extended range) technology. It will offer all the benefits of electric drive while at the same time eliminating the "range anxiety" experienced with an all-electric powertrain.

Like the Karma sedan, the Fisker Atlantic is a plug-in series hybrid vehicle that allows drivers to switch manually or automatically between electric and gasoline driving modes and sustain the charge of its lithium ion batteries on the move.

Its four-cylinder gasoline engine, which acts as a generator and is not mechanically connected to the wheels, is tuned to offer maximum economy and high torque. This Atlantic EVer powertrain will offer highly competitive performance for a car in its class. The standard powertrain will be configured for rear-wheel drive and an all-wheel drive version will be offered as an option.

The Atlantic design prototype‟s glass roof shows off a ridged „spider‟ structure. This incredibly strong construction also allows the Atlantic to offer a remarkable amount of rear headroom for a car with its sleek, coupe-like stance. This high-tech approach fulfills and surpasses all current and future rollover safety and crash-test requirements worldwide. The Fisker Atlantic‟s long wheelbase also affords extra legroom for rear passengers and more space in the trunk.

The unique, exciting styling of the Atlantic retains and progresses Fisker‟s signature design DNA. Henrik Fisker and his design team set out to create the most beautiful and dramatic vehicle in its class. Much of the design was inspired by nature, for example, the dynamic side theme, with strong sculptural lines that optically cross the center and over the rear wheels of the car. This gives a sense of power - replicating the stance of a wild tiger ready to pounce.

Further important design details to note include an evolution of the Fisker Karma signature grille, with a wider sculptured line defining the power dome on the hood. Strong creases emerge from the inside of the headlamps and continue back over the hood to elongate the car. The sharp headlights themselves give an „eagle eye‟ with a strength of strong character not seen on a production car before. These touches allow the Atlantic to create a greater rear-view mirror presence than any other vehicle in its class.

Additionally, the rear door handles have been elegantly integrated in the rear C-pillars, to continue the sense and look of a sporting coupe without losing the practicality of a four-door sedan. The extremely slim LED tail lamps use the latest technology allowing them to split into two parts to offer a wider aperture for the trunk opening. The rear end of the car is clean and aerodynamically shaped, with a sharp spoiler lip on the trunk that runs down over the side of the car to enhance aerodynamic performance.

Overall, the Fisker Atlantic‟s dimensions are comparable to those of an Audi A5. It has been engineered inside and out to offer a dynamic yet compact feel on the road.

"We are exceptionally proud of the Atlantic design prototype, and believe we have created another groundbreaking car that looks and will drive like nothing else on the road in this class," said Henrik Fisker, co-founder, Executive Chairman, and Design Director of Fisker Automotive.

"Fisker Automotive is transitioning from a start-up automaker to a fully-fledged mainstream car manufacturer and the Atlantic is a crucial milestone in that process," said Tom LaSorda, CEO Fisker Automotive. "We have a long way to go, but in the near future Fisker intends to deliver this exceptional American-designed, engineered, and manufactured vehicle to showrooms worldwide."

"I‟m confident the Fisker Atlantic will inspire people and win the brand many new customers who may not have considered an EVer powered vehicle like this before."

More details on the Fisker Atlantic, including statistics, prices and an on-sale date will be given closer to the launch of the production car.

ABOUT FISKER AUTOMOTIVE, INC.
Fisker Automotive is an American car company, founded in 2007, committed to producing electric vehicles with extended range (EVer) that deliver uncompromised responsible
luxury. The company is designing and developing the world‟s first line of premium electric plug- in hybrids representing the company‟s firm belief that environmentally conscious cars need not sacrifice passion, style, or performance. Fisker Automotive is a global company that is redefining luxury for the modern sports car buyer. For more information on the brand and the Fisker Karma Sedan, please go to http://fiskerautomotive.com.

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It's show time for the maker of the Karma hybrid, as Fisker officially presented its new Atlantic mid-size sports sedan at a special event on Tuesday night in advance of the car's world premiere at the New York Auto Show on Wednesday, April 4.

Revealed here as a design prototype, the Atlantic will be Fisker's first mainstream and mass produced vehicle. The company said the car is aimed at young families who want to drive "an impactful, high-end vehicle while making a positive statement about responsibilities".

The California-based automaker declined to get into specific details, but it is believed that the Atlantic will start from under $50,000, not including any federal green tax credits, which could reduce the price to a little over $40,000, or less than half the cost of the Karma.

Just like the Karma sedan, the Atlantic is a plug-in series hybrid that allows the driver to switch manually or automatically between electric and gasoline driving modes and sustain the charge of its lithium ion batteries on the move.

But whereas the Karma uses a GM-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, the Atlantic will be Fisker's first model to utilize a 2.0-liter turbo'd four-cylinder gasoline unit from BMW.

The standard powertrain will be configured for rear-wheel drive, but Fisker will offer an all-wheel drive version as an option.

The exterior styling of the Atlantic incorporates the design DNA of the Karma in a more compact, fastback package with hidden rear door handles and a large glass roof. The company hasn't revealed the car's exterior dimensions yet, but said that the Atlantic is comparable in size to the Audi A5 Sportback.

“We are exceptionally proud of the Atlantic design prototype, and believe we have created another groundbreaking car that looks and will drive like nothing else on the road in this class,” commented Henrik Fisker, co-founder, Executive Chairman, and Design Director of Fisker.

The Atlantic will be built at a former GM factory in Delaware. Even though work at the plant recently came to a halt as the U.S. Department of Energy blocked a loan to the automaker, Henrik Fisker told CNN today that his company secured about $400 million in private equity financing that would allow it to get the factory ready for the production of the Atlantic.

Fisker said that it will release more details on the Atlantic, including prices and an on-sale date, closer to the launch of the production car.

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/04...w-audi-a5.html

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Regardless of what you think about the technology that propels it, there's no sense arguing the Fisker Karma isn’t a magnificent-looking car. Taking in the leaked photos of the little-brother Atlantic, I expected to be equally enraptured after seeing it in the metal.

But this is the rare case in which the photos may be preferable to the real thing. The Atlantic surely is unique and for that it deserves props aplenty. But wow, there’s a lot going on here – compound-curve overload, if you will. The head-on look is BMW Z8 embossed with Lincoln waterfall. The headlights are pleasingly smallish but still get in their licks of curve busy-ness, too.

The Atlantic’s profile is agreeable and fresh – in general. But I don’t know if all that door scalloping works with the stretchy wheelbase and the swoosh of the front and rear fenders. Gives me the sense of an amped-up Mazda RX-8 or even Pontiac Solstice, cars that never seemed quite comfortable in their skins. The Atlantic’s rear view only continues the swerve-at-every-opportunity theme. Enormous wheels are a showcar staple, but in this case, the Atlantic looks like it has too much wheel.

One sweet detail is the exquisite but almost unnoticeable cutout for the side exhaust behind the driver-side front wheel. But overall, my eyes kinda hurt after looking at the Atlantic for too long. – Bill Visnic, senior editor, Edmunds.com

http://blogs.insideline.com/straight...-revealed.html

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Fisker may have just officially pulled the sheets off its handsome Atlantic plug-in hybrid sedan at the 2012 New York Auto Show, but the final production site for the vehicle has yet to be determined, according to a report from Automotive News. The company has not relied on federal Department of Energy loans since March, which were used in conjunction with the development and launch of the flagship Karma sedan.

Use of the former General Motors plant in Wilmington, Delaware as the production site of the Atlantic were reportedly one of the conditions for DOE loans earmarked for that model, formerly referred to as “Project Nina.” Now that the company has raised $132 million in private funding, it has many more options for production of the new sedan.

Taking a pragmatic approach to the production of the vehicle, CEO Tom LaSorda said, “We have to look at what’s best for the company and the shareholders.”

Although in question, the use of the Wilmington plant for production of the Atlantic is not out of the running entirely. According to LaSorda, the only major missing piece at the plant is a paint shop, which reportedly can be set up quickly, if needed.

The Karma sedan is currently assembled in Finland by contract manufacturer Valmet, which also produces some Porsche Boxster and Cayman models.

Read more: http://wot.motortrend.com/report-fis...#ixzz1rhKCNJN2

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So what is the first order of business for new Fisker CEO Tony Posawatz? Certainly putting out fires. But he's also going to be doing some hat-in-hand work, according to a report from Reuters.

Posawatz knows what it takes to get an electric car to market, but Fisker is some $150 million short of cash it needs before it launches the Atlantic, according to the report. One of Fisker's directors told the news organization that bolstering the balance sheet is necessary not only to cover operating expenses, but also to fund more product development.

Fisker's financial shortfall is the effect of losing over half its $529 million loan from the Department of Energy, according to the report. The company says it plans to raise the additional funds through more private financing.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/16/f...uild-atlantic/

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The Fisker Karma is a beautiful car, but if you want to see more variants like the Atlantic, Surf, or Sunset, you may have to pony up lots of money: the company reportedly needs a $150-million investment to start producing the Atlantic sedan.

Reuters reports that while Fisker has already raised at least $1 billion privately since 2010, the development costs of the new Atlantic sedan — as well as the continued production costs for the Karma sedan — are proving to be steep. Couple that to the fact that the California-based automaker was denied additional government loans early this year on the heels of the Solyndra meltdown, and there might be a minor cash flow problem.

Now, the price tag for the planned Fisker Atlantic is some $150 million — that is, Fisker is looking to raise that sum of money before it can launch production of its second model and put it on sale. Unlike Tesla, which raised a significant sum of money through an initial public offering, Fisker isn’t looking for an IPO infusion. Fisker director Ray Lane told Reuters that such an option, or a sale to a private buyer or consortium, would have to happen once the company is in the black — something that may not happen until late next year.

That is, if it happens at all: the Fisker Karma has drawn critical acclaim for its curb appeal but has been plagued with quality issues as well as two separate car fires. The second fire happened last week; in the following days, Fisker engineers ruled out the battery pack, electric motors, or the gasoline range extender’s exhaust as sources. The company hasn’t yet released public sales figures for the Karma, and a Fisker spokesman was not available to confirm sales numbers or the company’s financial situation by deadline.

Earlier this week, Tony Posawatz became the third Fisker Automotive CEO in just one year. Before joining the ranks at Fisker, Posawatz was the former product line director for a vastly more popular extended-range electric vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt.

http://wot.motortrend.com/we-hear-fi...ic-247983.html

[Perf_White_GT]

They should probably focus on making a car not burst into flames sitting still before they start making another car

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Originally Posted by Perf_White_GT

They should probably focus on making a car not burst into flames sitting still before they start making another car

[VH_Supra26]

Amidst all the not-so-great situations currently surrounding Fisker and which range from battery related car fires to the ushering in of a new CEO, another bombshell has just hit home for the California based company. They need $150 million (€121 million), and they need it soon.

Since their inception in 2007, the Fisker brand has raised over $1 billion (€809 million) in private finances to back the Karma project, but now they need an extra cash flow in order to finalize production of their newest Atlantic model in the very near future.

Having been denied a $529 million (€428 million) government loan in the past, Fisker was unable to fund the newly opened Delaware plant where the Atlantic was slated for future production.

The company was then forced to tenuously squeeze-out $400 million in funding from private investors, now, the daunting task of an extra $150 million could prove even more difficult.

In a recent interview with Reuters, Ray Lane, a Fisker managing partner at venture firm Kleiner Perkins Cuafield and Byers, had little details as to how they were going about finding all these extra funds.

“We need money on our balance sheet, and we need money to fund the development of the next car. We’re raising some of that money now, and some later.”

While Fisker has yet to officially release a production date on the Atlantic, rumors say that the project has been pushed back to mid-2014 as the 2015 model year.

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/08...illion-to.html

[VH_Supra26]

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Building a car company from scratch is quite an achievement. Deciding that your first product will be a US$100,000+ hybrid saloon is very bold. Launching it to the market means, you’ve arrived, even if it’s a little later than originally planned and your first-ever model faced some recall issues soon after its sales began.

Henrik Fisker did all of the above in four years. He knew very well though that you can’t sustain a company with a single model; especially one that costs more than US$100K. That’s why Fisker Automotive revealed the Atlantic, a mid-size petrol-electric hybrid, at the New York Show last April.

The new model, which keeps the Karma’s futuristic look, is scheduled to be Fisker’s first mass-produced car and will be rivaling the likes of the Audi A5 Sportback. It is a plug-in hybrid combining a BMW-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline unit with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack.

Priced at around US$50,000 excluding government and/or state “green” incentives, the Atlantic will cost half as much as the Karma and, according to the company’s plans, will be assembled to a retooled former GM plant in Delaware.

According to a Reuters report, though, production of Fisker’s second model has been pushed back. The news agency says that, during an investor presentation on Monday, it was revealed that the mid-size saloon will enter pre-production in 2014 and will thus hit the market a couple of years later than originally anticipated.

"The Atlantic is really the volume car that begins to build growth", said Fisker’s new CEO Tony Posawatz during a conference call with investors and analysts. "It creates a business model that is one where we can really generate cash in the future."

Former GM executive Posawatz, who replaced Tom LaSorda in August, also revealed that the target starting price for the Atlantic is US$55,000. He added that the company may “engage in some discussions with partners to use this platform, this technology, which very few people have.”

The problem is that, despite having raised US$1.2 billion in private financing since its inception in 2007, the Department of Energy froze a big part of its US$529 million government loan, with Fisker now seeking to find an extra US$150 million to fund production of the Altantic.

Right now, the mid-size hybrid saloon project is, like the Delaware factory, on hold despite about 90 percent of the car’s parts having already being engineered. “We’re looking at the next phase of our investment and progression as a company to restart the Atlantic program in earnest”, said Posawatz who is also looking at partnerships with major automakers in order to cut supply costs.

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/10...ze-hybrid.html

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When the Fisker Atlantic was revealed in April, no one was saying anything about production dates. Even in recent interviews and statements, Fisker has remained coy about when it might start building the smaller cousin to the Karma.

Given Fisker's financial difficulties and questions about where it will build the car, none of this was a surprise. It's also not at all shocking that reports now say Fisker might not start making the Atlantic until 2014 or 2015. Reuters says that was "the first time Fisker disclosed a production timetable for the Atlantic," but way back in 2009, the official timeline said the Atlantic (then called Project Nina) would start production by the end of 2012.

Fisker representatives used the new 2014 date in slides presented to investors. It was also revealed that a lot of the work on the car is done, since "about 90 percent of the parts in the Atlantic have been engineered." Should the Atlantic still be built in Delaware, as originally planned, suppliers might use some of the large factory that Fisker bought from General Motors. Of course, with the news that one of Fisker's main suppliers for the Karma – A123 Systems – might go bankrupt, we'll see how long the 2014 date holds firm.

http://green.autoblog.com/2012/10/16...-2014-or-2015/