• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens

2

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

3

The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish

1

As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens

2

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

3

The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish
TechFisker

Electric Car Maker Fisker Has a New Name

By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 25, 2016, 7:21 PM ET
<h1>February</h1>
Troubled startup Fisker Automotive seeks to form a strategic partnership with either a Chinese automaker or a Chinese battery maker so it can continue to market its made-in-Finland hybrids. Meanwhile, uncertain about the demand for his $100,000 electric sedan causes Tesla founder Elon Musk to refinance his $475 million U.S. loan and sell advertising space on his SpaceX rockets.
<h1>February</h1> Troubled startup Fisker Automotive seeks to form a strategic partnership with either a Chinese automaker or a Chinese battery maker so it can continue to market its made-in-Finland hybrids. Meanwhile, uncertain about the demand for his $100,000 electric sedan causes Tesla founder Elon Musk to refinance his $475 million U.S. loan and sell advertising space on his SpaceX rockets.Courtesy: Fisker Automotive

Fisker Automotive, the failed and relaunched luxury electric car startup, has renamed itself and the electric car it plans to sell later this year.

The company is now called Karma Automotive, a nod to its original electric car called the Karma, according to the Wall Street Journal. The rebranded company, now owned by Wanxiang, will call its first luxury electric car the Revero.

The move isn’t all that surprising considering the original company went bankrupt three years ago after only delivering 2,000 electric cars that were plagued with mechanical, software, and battery problems. Chinese auto parts company Wanxiang America acquired the company out of bankruptcy.

The Revero will use a design based on the original Karma car including the sports car curves first conceived by Fisker founder Henrik Fisker, according to the Wall Street Journal (read about what designer Henrik Fisker is up to these days). But the Revero car will also use new electric car technology and components from BMW.

For more on info on Henrik Fisker watch our video.

The company now has 500 employees, many whom are working at Karma Automotive’s headquarters in Costa Mesa, Calif., in Orange County. It plans to produce the car in the U.S.—unlike its predecessor, which handled early manufacturing in Finland—in a factory an hour outside of Los Angeles in Moreno Valley.

It remains to be seen just how enthusiastic electric car customers will be to buy the Revero. While there was a lot of interest in the original Karma car’s sleek design, the company shocked many in becoming one of the largest startup failures in history.

The company raised close to $1.2 billion, some funds from well-known Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, and tapped into a close to $200 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy. When Fisker started to struggle and couldn’t repay the government funds it became a political punching bag, and a talking points for the Obama administration’s critics.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

On the other hand, electric cars are starting to become increasingly popular, thanks to a path paved by early car makers like Tesla (TSLA), Nissan and GM. Recently Tesla received close to 400,000 reservations for its new $35,000 car the Model 3, which won’t be delivered until the end of 2017.

Other startups are coming out of the woodwork with new electric cars, some with high end luxury ambitions like Karma Automotive. If the Revero is similar to the original Karma, it’ll cost over $100,000. Another Silicon Valley startup called Renovo Motors is building a high end electric super car. Meanwhile, startup Faraday Future which is backed by a Chinese tech billionaire, plans to build luxury electric cars at a factory in Nevada.

Owner Wanxiang may be Karma Automotive’s best asset. Wanxiang has invested in other electric car technology over the years, has deep pockets, and has connections with distributors in China, which will is expected to become one of the word’s largest markets for electric cars.

About the Author
By Katie Fehrenbacher
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Exclusive: Microsoft is building a super app that combines coding, chat, and other Copilot AI tools
AIMicrosoft
Exclusive: Microsoft is building a super app that combines coding, chat, and other Copilot AI tools
By Sebastian HerreraMay 29, 2026
2 hours ago
Claude Mythos shown on a smartphone screen.
AIAnthropic
Anthropic leapfrogs OpenAI with a record $965 billion valuation and says its ‘Mythos’ AI model is coming soon 
By Beatrice NolanMay 29, 2026
3 hours ago
Why Meta hired Dina Powell McCormick
NewslettersMPW Daily
Why Meta hired Dina Powell McCormick
By Ellie AustinMay 29, 2026
3 hours ago
The AI arms race in cybersecurity has started. Most companies aren’t ready
Cryptocyber
The AI arms race in cybersecurity has started. Most companies aren’t ready
By Philip MartinMay 29, 2026
3 hours ago
Kalshi adds perpetual futures for U.S. traders following thumbs-up from key regulator
CryptoBitcoin
Kalshi adds perpetual futures for U.S. traders following thumbs-up from key regulator
By Jack KubinecMay 29, 2026
3 hours ago
Lisa Su, CEO of AMD
SuccessJobs
AMD CEO Lisa Su tells grads they shape the future, not AI—and the world doesn’t just need ‘people who know how to use powerful tools’
By Emma BurleighMay 29, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens
Magazine
As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens
By Emma HinchliffeMay 27, 2026
2 days ago
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
8 days ago
The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish
Environment
The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish
By Dorany Pineda, Brittany Peterson and The Associated PressMay 27, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 28, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 28, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 28, 2026
1 day ago
As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales
Success
As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales
By Emma BurleighMay 28, 2026
1 day ago
Jamie Dimon said the American Dream was slipping away. JPMorgan just put $40 million on the table to fix it
Banking
Jamie Dimon said the American Dream was slipping away. JPMorgan just put $40 million on the table to fix it
By Nick LichtenbergMay 27, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.