- Revero PHEV manufacturing continues now, limited-edition Invictus arrives in 2025
- Gyesera in 2026 debuts new look, composite physique
- Kaveya supercar in late 2026 goes totally electrical, embraces Intel structure
- Karma’s push to energy fleets and industrial autos has light
It’s been greater than ten years since California-based Karma Automotive initially shaped with funding from the Chinese language components provider Wanxiang Group and the belongings of then-defunct Fisker Automotive.
Since then, Karma has teased quite a lot of idea and limited-edition autos, together with a number of about-faces in enterprise path, all whereas each refining its plug-in sequence hybrid tech and dealing towards a mixture of PHEVs and totally electrical fashions sooner or later. Karma highlights that it engineers, designs and manufactures its autos in Southern California.
Though Karma’s long-term funding scenario stays unclear, it additionally has critical aspirations to be a expertise provider to different automakers and the trade, as evidenced by its 2024 acquisition of the tech belongings and IP of over-the-air software program replace pioneer Airbiquity, and of its current affirmation of a expertise partnership with Intel Automotive—together with co-branded inverters and extra—geared toward creating and refining the structure and software program for next-gen software-defined autos.
“We’ve built-in that, and we proceed to evolve our software program platform, that’s a really, very huge focus for us,” stated Karma CEO Marques McCammon, of the Airbiquity acquisition. And its upcoming Kaveya is about to behave as a “residing improvement prototype” for the Intel structure.
Intel Automotive and Karma
However final month, in a complete interview with Inexperienced Automotive Experiences, McCammon laid out that amid this, its major aim stays to be a tech-forward ultra-luxury automaker—with a ramped-up slate of fashions and an annual quantity better than what it’s managed to make cumulatively in its 10+ years.
Karma has some heavy lifting to get there. Its solely present mannequin, the Revero, returned within the fall after a manufacturing pause earlier in 2024, and McCammon confirmed that it’s as soon as once more being delivered. Deliveries lately have landed beneath 100 autos a 12 months; and it earlier final 12 months summed that it had delivered a cumulative 1,000 autos—over its total historical past.
“I’ve no intention of claiming 50,000 or 100,000 items,” stated McCammon when requested about annual quantity targets. As a substitute, he provided, “3,000-5,000 items is the place I need to be.”
“I may be on the ultra-luxury or unique degree and I can lean into the expertise aggressively, and I’m small so I can transfer quick,” he stated, summing up the philosophy. “After which I can share it.”
Sitting down with McCammon proper in the course of West Corridor at CES, bustling with automotive tech and mobility suppliers, we had the CEO run via what’s going to get him to annual manufacturing and gross sales of hundreds reasonably than a whole bunch, and of the type of desirability that may nurture that Karma as a tech provider.
Karma Revero GTS
Karma Revero, EREV series-hybrids stay the inspiration
The Revero (additionally referred to as the Karma GS-6 for a quick time) is a continuation of the Fisker Karma, which was first delivered in 2011. It carries most key facets of the unique Karma’s design ahead however matches it with a revamped powertrain and up to date inside. The plug-in series-hybrid propulsion system was featured within the Fisker Karma and is derived from a Quantum Applied sciences system initially developed for navy autos. However Karma has extensively revamped that since Fisker days, with a extra highly effective and refined 1.5-liter BMW turbo-3 and larger 28-kwh battery pack launched for 2020.
In Karma’s so-called EREV system, the gasoline engine runs a generator when wanted, whereas a dual-motor propulsion system produces 536 hp with further electrical energy from the engine—delivering a 4.5-second 0-60 mph time—or 476 hp with out the engine beginning. The Revero was EPA-rated at 61 miles for the 2020 mannequin 12 months and specs haven’t modified considerably since then.
With it, the Revero is among the few plug-in hybrid fashions in the marketplace that can fast-charge. On an easy-to-find 50-kw CCS connector it could actually get to 80% in 24 minutes, in line with Karma—so a fast cost throughout lunch would possibly permit you greater than 100 electrical miles over the course of the day.
Karma Revero Invictus
Karma Revero Invictus
Karma Revero Invictus
Invictus transforms Revero, provides efficiency focus
The Karma Invictus comes subsequent—later this 12 months. As a particular version of the Revero, it’s set to be constructed round “a chassis extra tightly refined for efficiency,” stated McCammon, and it’ll weigh much less total than Revero.
Karma has promised efficiency upfits together with Öhlins dampers, Swift springs, and Pilot Sport 4S tires for the Invictus.
“We change aluminum paddles with carbon; we lighten the car up and we make it a enjoyable driving machine; after which we do some actually trick issues on the inside, like hand-stitched themes the place we draw from the Chrysler Constructing in New York,” stated McCammon. “It’s very Artwork Deco—a collectible automobile.”
The Karma and Invictus will proceed to make the most of Karma’s physique store in Moreno Valley, California, which was configured to construct an entire set of autos all beginning with the identical aluminum area body.
Karma Gyesera
Karma Gyesera
Karma Gyesera
Gyesera embraces composite physique, new look
After Invictus comes the Gyesera, which McCammon described as a “new rebodied automobile.”
“It’s an entire new inside, entire new exterior, we’re transferring away from aluminum for the physique, and we’re focusing extra on composite, so we now have lighter weight, extra high-performance, extra unique, frankly.”
Work on the composite physique is being finished partly in home and partly with suppliers. Its store in California can paint composite panels however not make them. It’s specced and designed, then shipped in.
The Gyesera was initially due in 2024, and once we requested McCammon when it was arriving as a substitute, he hinted that it’s modified path over time. Though the Gyesera was initially alleged to be the primary departure from that vary extender, he urged it’s going to doubtless as a substitute be a plug-in hybrid.
“We’ve been actively reevaluating that since June of final 12 months, simply due to the shift in market notion round EVs,” he stated. “Proper now with our EREV, I don’t know of anybody on this planet—nobody in North America—has an EV-only vary of as much as 80 miles.”
Someday past the Gyesera, Karma has additionally urged {that a} plug-in hybrid SUV is perhaps in the best way—perhaps one just like the Karma Ivara idea proven final 12 months.
Karma Kaveya idea
1,000-hp Kaveya EV supercar exams Intel structure
The exotic-looking, totally electrical Karma Kaveya comes subsequent, in late 2026—or maybe sooner, hinted McCammon. It should produce 1,000 hp and be able to accelerating to 60 mph within the neighborhood of two seconds.
Though the Kaveya appears utterly completely different, it’s going to nonetheless construct on Karma’s bodily platform—that means its aluminum space-frame structure and a few of the chassis items, nonetheless permitting numerous commonality regardless of the adoption of the Intel whole-vehicle electrical structure.
“We are able to change the backbone, the size, the peak, and don’t have to alter the basic platform,” stated McCammon. “So we will translate from a Revero or Gyesera to Kaveya and nonetheless have 40-plus-percent frequent content material.”
Karma EREV E-Flex van idea
Industrial autos on the sidelines, design up entrance
Karma nonetheless plans to assist industrial autos on its platform, McCammon stated, nevertheless it gained’t be on the core of the enterprise—because it seemed to be in 2021 when it introduced that it could go after the electrified bus, RV, and box-truck market with a “Powered by Karma” banner. The main target will as a substitute be on passenger autos, and particularly these on the higher finish of the market—“American ultra-luxury,” as McCammon put it.
Primarily based on the use case, its propulsion platform might have completely different configurations, together with some constructed round 400 volts and others round 800 volts. That would embrace 800-volt variations for an excellent coupe or a crossover—permitting sooner charging, amongst different benefits—plus a 400-volt model for industrial autos.
Karma On a regular basis BEV E-Flex platform
Along with expertise, design is the second key level that may get Karma to increased however still-exclusive volumes, the CEO defined—and between VP of design Michelle Christensen and Nick David as inside design director, they’re working as a workforce to provide the autos a contemporary look.
”I requested Michelle to take every part she has finished within the studio and translate it into our total model expertise,” McCammon defined. “Nick continues to work on the car, however now she’s increasing that so each contact level of Karma has the identical aesthetic.”
Whereas Karma isn’t wound up in a typical startup hype cycle, it’s nonetheless making an attempt to show itself with finite assets. What it would ship in tech and design all its personal continues to be taking kind—nevertheless it’s due very quickly.
