A new Tesla Cybertruck and Rivian R1T rival is coming this year, and like those two it’ll be offered in the US first…. But don’t rule Australia out of contention.
FORMER ELECTRIC VEHICLE start-up company Fisker will launch an electric ute under the new brand name Karma Automotive toward the end of this year.
Having previously failed as a company, the revived EV brand now owned by Chinese auto supply company Wanxiang Group says it will produce a production electric vehicle to take on Tesla’s Cybertruck and Rivian’s upcoming R1T (both which are slated for Australia), and Ford and GM’s future electric pickups (the latter under the brand Hummer).
According to a report by Bloomberg, newly appointed chief operations officer Kevin Pavlov says Karma will produce a more mainstream car in its ute, unlike its current Revero which retails for $135,000USD. It will need to be significantly cheaper than that to compete against Tesla’s $40,000 Cybertruck, and with the Revero selling just 1000 units last year in the US it’s hardly a household name.
Previously, Fisker automotive was making moves to take its electric cars to Australia, and it is possible the new ute could find its way here. From the concept rendering supplied it looks like the car will be more lifestyle than practical, with a short tray on the back. But electric motor output will likely give it tremendous towing and payload capacity.
The platform underneath the Karma ute will be a new electric all-wheel drive architecture, and spawn further models, according to Pavlov, such as a ‘high-end’ sport utility vehicle. Though the company is Chinese-owned, the ute will be built in Karma Automotive’s Southern Californian production facility.
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