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Fisker and Lutz hot-rod the Karma as V8-powered Destino [w/video]

You didn't think Henrik Fisker was done with the Karma, did you? The father of that stylish hybrid is returning to the design, teaming up with Bob Lutz and Gilbert Villarreal to transform the hybrid into an all-American, eight-cylinder performance sedan. As you may recall, Lutz and Villarreal formed VL Automotive a few years ago with plans to retrofit Fisker Karmas with Corvette V8s, calling the reworked product the VL Destino. Now Henrik Fisker has signed on to the project as head of design and product strategy, with Lutz serving as chairman and Villarreal as CEO under the newly renamed VLF Automotive. The joint plan calls for swapping the hybrid powertrain out of the Karma and replacing it with the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 from the previous Corvette ZR1. In stock form, the LS9 makes 638 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque. The VLF Destino is estimated to hit 60 in 3.9 seconds and top out at around 200 miles per hour. That will make it a world-class performance sedan capable of tangling with the finest imports, but will be retrofitted right here in America – in Auburn Hills, MI, near the Chrysler headquarters where Lutz once occupied the big corner office. VLF Automotive is showing the revised Destino at the Detroit Auto Show alongside the Force 1. We're trying not to get too excited about the prospect of a Fisker sedan with American muscle, as the Destino is slated to retail for $229,000 – which is even more than Aston Martin, for example, gets for the Rapide S or Porsche does for a Panamera Turbo S. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. VLF AUTOMOTIVE IS BORN A New American Luxury Sports Car Company Is Born Auburn Hills, MI January 8, 2016 - VLF Automotive, a new, US-based luxury sports car company, officially launches today through a partnership between legendary automotive designer Henrik Fisker, former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz and entrepreneur and manufacturer Gilbert Villarreal. Fisker is a VLF shareholder and third member of the executive management team alongside Lutz and Villarreal. "It's a circle," Lutz explained. "When Gilbert and I formed VL Automotive in 2012, we wanted to take Henrik's beautifully proportioned design, replace the hybrid gas-electric power train with a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 drivetrain, and create a bespoke four-door luxury car with outstanding performance.

DOE Secretary Moniz announces $50 million for cleaner vehicles, sees upside in Fisker loan failure

The Washington Auto Show started today with an announcement by US Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz about a new, $50-million boost for the DOE's work on supporting more fuel-efficient vehicles. The $50 million, Moniz said, will support advanced vehicle technologies. $30 million will go towards making plug-in vehicles better and charging more convenient, including extra support for the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge. The DOE said years ago that it would focus on supporting electric vehicles, but Moniz said that he expects the money announced today to support a wide variety of things. This includes advanced batteries, lightweight materials, advanced combustion and better tires, all in an effort to help the auto industry meet the higher fuel economy ratings of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. The DOE is "very bullish" on EV sales as costs continue to drop - Secretary Moniz Moniz said that the DOE has played a huge role in getting the national average MPG up to the level it is as today, citing the example that nearly every hybrid on the road has some DOE-supported technology in it with better nickel-metal hydride batteries. Also, since Americans bought nearly 100,000 plug-in vehicles last year, about twice as much as in 2012, Moniz said the DOE feels "very bullish seeing this [EV progress] continue in the years ahead" as costs continue to drop. Not every DOE investment has been a hit, of course, but Moniz is Okay with that. The DOE's broader loan program has worked, he said, adding that a portfolio "probably shouldn't be 100 percent successful." The biggest green-car-related DOE loan failure to date has been Fisker Automotive, which will be sold at auction February 12. Moniz said he didn't want to voice support for one side or the other (Wanxiang Group from China and Hybrid Tech Holdings from Hong Kong), but said that no matter who drives away the winner will not be able to just take the technology to Asia. "What's key for us is that the terms of our loan are respected," he said. "We have technology transfer limitations, so no matter who the winner is, we will be looking at both engineering and manufacturing in the United States. ... Even though our note was sold at a discount, we still may achieve our fundamental goals of seeing engineering and manufacturing continuing in our country." Secretary Moniz Announces Nearly $50 Million to Advance High-Tech, Fuel Efficient American Autos WASHINGTON – At the Washington Auto Show today U.S.

Fisker Pear will be built at Foxconn's Lordstown Motors plant

Shares of Lordstown Motors surged over 23% in trading before the bell on Thursday after the electric vehicle startup said it had closed the deal to sell its Ohio facility with Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn. The Taiwanese firm confirmed it will also make Fisker's Pear compact car model from 2024 alongside the Endurance at the Ohio facility. The deal closure buys Lordstown Motors some much needed breathing room and gives production of its electric pickup a chance at success, said Danni Hewson, analyst at AJ Bell. "Building electric vehicles is an expensive business at the best of times. Right now the supply crunch is making life incredibly difficult and Lordstown Motors and its shareholders will be feeling a rather heady sense of relief today," added Hewson. Setting up manufacturing lines for electric vehicles is a capital intensive process and startups in the past have struggled to raise sufficient capital to mass produce vehicles. Foxconn will now manufacture Lordstown Motors' Endurance electric pickup truck which will go into production in the third quarter of the year and be in the hands of customers in the fourth quarter. Lordstown Motors will retain some assets including its hub motor, battery assembly lines and intellectual property. The company said the deal closure results in $260 million of proceeds, including the reimbursement of certain operating and expansion costs. The stock fell over 95% from its high of over $30 per share in September 2020, weeks after going public through a merger with a blank check company. It is currently trading under $2. Reporting by Akash Sriram and Bansari Mayur Kamdar in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.