Fisker Karma to use GM’s 2.0-liter turbo’d four
Friday, November 21st, 2008Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, GM, Fisker
Those who were miffed at General Motors for eschewing its initial plans to launch the Chevy Volt with a small 1.0L turbocharged three cylinder engine are probably not going to like this piece of news, but Fisker Automotive has finally settled on an internal combustion engine to recharge the Karma’s on-board lithium ion batteries. It’s a big one, with a full 2.0-liters of displacement and direct injection, oh… and a turbocharger for good measure. While it is definitely debatable whether or not the Karma really needs 260 horses and an equal torque figure to spin its generator (which we’ll leave up to you in the comments… don’t let us down), it’s not really as bad as it may seem.
The Ecotec line of engines from GM are solid pieces of machinery, and the more power that the engine and generator are sending to the battery pack, the quicker the whole shebang will be recharged. It’s an aluminum engine too, so the weight isn’t as bad as it could have been, and it’s fairly fuel efficient with its direct injection as well. So, while we’d love to see the Karma get an exotic, lightweight powerplant, the 2.0L DI Ecotec and its 260 horsepower is, in all actuality, a pretty efficient package when one considers its hefty power-to-weight ratio. Discuss.
Gallery: Fisker Karma Official Pics
[Source: Fisker Automotive]
Continue reading Fisker Karma to use GM’s 2.0-liter turbo’d four
Fisker Karma to use GM’s 2.0-liter turbo’d four originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
