[LonePalmBJ]

The GM at Fisker of Atlanta reached out to me and asked that I pass this along:

"I am not sure if you or anyone that you know may be interested but there is a documentary producer out in LA named Bob Taicher that is organizing a Fisker Drive to Washington DC to make a statement on behalf of the people that bought and love the Karma. It is going to happen quickly, he is hoping to be in DC at the beginning of next week. He is coming from LA with a group of people and has offered to buy dinner for anyone who comes at a fancy restaurant in DC. Please let me know ASAP if you or anyone you know is interested."

Some quick Googling provides a little more about Bob Taicher, for example, his IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0846753/

I have Bob's email address and phone number. I don't want to splash his contact info onto a public website so if you're interested in learning more, or perhaps are interested in meeting up with him in DC, send me a PM and I'll pass along the contact data.

I think it would be GREAT to get a number of Karma's from FiskerBuzz involved.

Thanks!

Brent

 

[pythagoras]

I take it he's flying to DC to meet Karma owners there, not driving cross country in a Karma?

 

[Mikey43]

I would love to do it, but it may backfire.

Don't know what the headline would look like, but something like:

Bunch of 1%ers drive to DC in their $100m + cars to protest

They could write about our $7500.00 tax credits (that's a lot of meals on wheels)
They could mention that we are probably all driving on ICE since we don't have charging stations available. They could write about Justin Beiber in his Chrome Plated Fisker.

This isn't exactly like the million man march on poverty.
It would be too easy to mock us.

 

[LonePalmBJ]

I would love to do it, but it may backfire.

Don't know what the headline would look like, but something like:

Bunch of 1%ers drive to DC in their $100m + cars to protest

They could write about our $7500.00 tax credits (that's a lot of meals on wheels)
They could mention that we are probably all driving on ICE since we don't have charging stations available. They could write about Justin Beiber in his Chrome Plated Fisker.

This isn't exactly like the million man march on poverty.
It would be too easy to mock us.

While there is truth in what you say, I don't see that as any reason not to proceed. Just the opposite, really.

So far, Fisker's PR "strategy" or lack thereof was to sit back and allow the conversation to be defined from the outside, often by an ill-informed or biased media, or by hostile political operators. Because of that, all people hear about are the negatives: two car fires of fairly well understood origin have been spun into "fire prone cars". The endlessly discussed DOE loan has been used as a cudgel against people who do not like government intervention in supporting EV technology and/or who just don't like the Obama administration. Flawed EPA testing methodologies that lead to the impression that the car isn't very green or "only gets 20mpg". Low quality initial deliveries leading to a widespread belief the car is fundamentally flawed, etc.

I think it's time that someone took charge of the narrative. Lost in the shuffle is that the vast majority of Karma owners love the car, and that it is a technical, design and engineering marvel. I rather like the idea of a filmmaker using a movie as a platform to tell a better story. If this was only "a bunch of people who can afford an expensive car go on a protest drive" I agree it wouldn't amount to much. But if a group of people show up to tell their side of a story I think that's a powerful thing.

I'm not sure what else you would suggest we do. Stay home? Not draw any attention to ourselves or the car out of fear that someone may be critical? Just sit back and quietly hope for the best? That seems to be the Fisker PR approach and I think it has worked miserably.

Of course, that's just my $0.02. I could be wrong. (Just ask my wife)

Brent

 

[Mikey43]

Lone Palm Beach, well said. You also have a point.
Well, maybe our letter will get some press attention.

 

[Sportsmeddoc]

Agree with Mikey43. No sympathy will come from anyone given the fact that the press will always be biased- regardless and the masses are thrilled that people who can afford this car got screwed. They see it as justified. Think about where we are as a country as a whole - absolutely nobody will care how much you love your car. That THEIR tax money was even considered to help pay for it makes them upset ( even if they do pay taxes) They don't see a bigger picture or have much value in innovation etc. times have changed. Forget the movie. Would make us feel good perhaps but that's about it...

 

[pythagoras]

Sporsmeddoc you are probably right but strikes me as too defeatist to give in to these simplistic anti-innovation attitudes without putting up a fight. Our whole country is being overrun by simple-minded reactionary nonsense from which nothing new can grow.

In 1993 I was a member of Purdue's Sunrayce solar racing team supposed to drive from Texas to Minnesota. Our car's carbon fiber spokes shattered during qualifications, but we later replaced them with some motorcycle spokes and tried touring Indiana backroads. A passing schoolbus full of middle school kids who, you'd think would be awed by a solar car, yelled luddite insults at us urging us to return to our ivory techno-university in the middle of a corn field. I *HATED* Indiana for these miserable backwards attitudes (worse than Missouri where I grew up?) We can't just give up and walk away from them.

 

[doug]

I think it would be cool for some local Karmas to drive around DC and get some footage. (Did anyone actually do that during the DOE/Fisker hearings?) But driving cross country would be kinda silly. Particularly at 20mpg. What message are you trying to send?

 

[pythagoras]

I don't think they're driving cross country but LonePalm you never confirmed.

 

[LonePalmBJ]

I don't think they're driving cross country but LonePalm you never confirmed.

I don't know if they're driving cross country. I would tend to doubt it though. The sum total of what I know about this venture is quoted verbatim in the OP.

Brent

 

[pythagoras]

Hey Doug how about a cross-country race between Karmas and Tesla's cannonball run style? What message would THAT send?

 

[Sigurd]

Hey Doug how about a cross-country race between Karmas and Tesla's cannonball run style? What message would THAT send?

Haha!

 

[Sandy Eggo]

Hey Doug how about a cross-country race between Karmas and Tesla's cannonball run style? What message would THAT send?

LOL. The race - if it were LA to NY - would be over as soon as the Karma sailed past the Supercharger station in Barstow.

Speaking of which, my buddy and I just entered my Karma in the goldRush Rally V - starts in a month in SF. There is a Tesla entered as well...I can't wait to leave the Tesla faaaaaar behind.

 

[dennis]

Speaking of which, my buddy and I just entered my Karma in the goldRush Rally V - starts in a month in SF. There is a Tesla entered as well...I can't wait to leave the Tesla faaaaaar behind.

Even limiting your Model S speed to 75 mph, for every 1:30 you travel between supercharger stations on I-5 (115 miles) it takes :45 to recharge the battery. So your effective speed is 50mph.

 

[Weird Fishes]

Even limiting your Model S speed to 75 mph, for every 1:30 you travel between supercharger stations on I-5 (115 miles) it takes :45 to recharge the battery. So your effective speed is 50mph.

I would have *so* cheated off you in math class.

 

[EVer1]

I wish I could join the drive. Taking charge of the conversation is the right choice.

 

[Sandy Eggo]

I would have *so* cheated off you in math class.

Lol.

 

[Mikey43]

I would have *so* cheated off you in math class.

This could be like high school algebra math question

If a Tessler Leaves LA and a Fisker Leaves Chicago at the same time, and the Fisker averages 75 mph, the Tessler 50 mph. Where will they meet?

Answer: Depends if there is a new Enron and they starve California of electricity.

 

[steven]

I have a simple question....

Why do we have to drive our Karmas to DC?.

I would love to fly up for an interview if I could help Fisker. (I can show them my key and registration if they need proof).

Let me know, and I will be there.

Steven