Irvine-based EV manufacturer Karma Automotive has always struggled to find an identity in an ever-changing automotive landscape. This is partly because of Karma’s intricate and complex history. When Fisker Automotive and its battery supplier A123 Systems went bankrupt in the early half of the 2010s, Chinese automotive investment firm Wanxiang Group, swooped in and purchased the two for a hefty sum of $405.8 million over two years.<\/p>\n
By 2015, Wanxiang Group branded the new venture as Karma Automotive. Naturally, this led to confusion as Fisker’s outgoing model was called the Karma. To increase the confusion, the Karma Revero, which debuted in 2016 and hit the market a year later, looked virtually the same as the Fisker. While Karma Automotive’s engineers made numerous upgrades to the vehicle behind the scenes, it still could be confused with the Fisker.<\/p>\n
It wasn’t until 2019 that the Revero saw a noticeable redesign, eliminating the mustache grille and smoothing down the body. Inside the Revero GT, Karma ditched the GM Ecotec engine in favor of a three-cylinder BMW engine. Moreover, out went the 21kWh battery, and in came a more substantial 28 kilowatt-hour one. The Revero GT is largely identical to the GS-6, which launched shortly after.<\/p>\n
Still, its creations were not able to draw a significant following. Karma Automotive has even said that it was bouncing around 100 to 300 vehicles produced annually, totaling 1,000 units delivered worldwide. Pair a low-volume vehicle with an ambiguous brand image, and Karma Automotive has been far from a household name. However, in recent times, Karma has been silent, secretly plotting its pathway to becoming America’s next aspirational car brand.<\/p>\n