First Factory-Built Fisker Karma – Click above for high-res image gallery
With the first batch of production Fisker Karmas finally rolling down the assembly line, it's time to take a look at the automaker's future. Fisker's plans for its former General Motors manufacturing plant in Wilmington, DE call for the production of over 100,000 vehicles per year starting in 2013. Fisker finally got the first Karmas trickling down the line, and now analysts are questioning the automaker's ability to deliver on its lofty production goals.
According to Delaware Online, eight leading automotive experts say that Fisker's plan to pump out 115,000 cars per annum borders on wildly optimistic. For example, J.D. Power and Associates forecasts that Fisker will sell a meager 54,000 cars globally in 2016. For some reason, J.D.'s numbers don't include figures for Asian markets, which is where Fisker expects to sell up to 20 percent of its vehicles, but adding 20 percent to 54,000 does not break 100k. Michael Omotoso, global powertrain analyst at J.D. Power, says that fierce competition in the plug-in segment will make Fisker's pricey vehicles difficult to sell.
For the record, Bernhard Koehler, Fisker's chief operating officer, has said that the company intends to build 100,000 cars in 2013 and company spokesman, Roger Ormisher, remains confident that automaker can hit that production goal. Whatever happens, bravado and a challenge are always fun to watch.
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