I'm glad you asked that question. I'm not informed about Tesla owners, but have been surprised at the expectations of writers, not just on this forum (for example Brian on youtube), who want a Lexus or Audi experience with their Fisker.
I can't disagree with this assessment , at least with respect to my buying decision. I just hope Fisker finds a partner to continue and improve from the lesson of the karma. If they do build the Atlantic , I hope they read FB, for the data and recommendations from this board is excellent market research.I agree with Dennis here. I wouldn't necessarily call Tesla customers less demanding (after tons of threads on missing features like seat back pockets, adaptive cruise control, etc.), but I do believe they are for the most part a different customer.
For many Tesla customers, this is the most they've ever spent on a car. A previous vehicle very likely included a Prius. They are drawn to Tesla vehicles for their technology, primarily the impressive zero emissions high performance drivetrain. Some would rather wait around for an hour than use a drop of gas. They credit Tesla for restarted the EV industry.
I get the sense that many Karma customers are first drawn to the car for it's unique and bold styling. The "green cred" is a side benefit, but they quickly learn to appreciate the feel of an electric drivetrain. They are likely to have owned other attractive cars.
There was a TMC thread which asked the question, would you be buying the Model S if it weren't an EV. The clear consensus (especially given the ~$90K price tag) was no. Whereas I would expect the Karma would sell at least as well if not better if it were not a plug-in, even at $100K.
@doug, you just described me. If I am the typical Karma owner, then you are spot on.I agree with Dennis here.
I get the sense that many Karma customers are first drawn to the car for it's unique and bold styling. The "green cred" is a side benefit, but they quickly learn to appreciate the feel of an electric drivetrain. They are likely to have owned other attractive cars.
There was a TMC thread which asked the question, would you be buying the Model S if it weren't an EV. The clear consensus (especially given the ~$90K price tag) was no. Whereas I would expect the Karma would sell at least as well if not better if it were not a plug-in, even at $100K.
If Lutz can pull it off, it'll be interesting to see how many Karma-styled Destinos his company can sell, even at $180K, and how many Karma owners would "trade up."I get the sense that many Karma customers are first drawn to the car for it's unique and bold styling.
Fisker, by contrast, delivered the car three years late
There had been earlier statements about delivering the car in 2009 without specifying that it was at the end of the year. The first car was ceremoniously delivered to Ray Lane of Kleiner Perkins in July 2011 but because the car had not been approved by the California EPA (ARB) he could not legally drive it on the roads in California but, for a short while, Fisker was trying to count that as the start of the deliveries.Would you explain this statement, please?
Here's a comment from Henrik in 2008:
"We are very excited about the initial test results of the Fisker Karma prototype," said Henrik Fisker, CEO, Fisker Automotive. "The vehicle dynamics and fuel economy have performed better than expected and we remain on target for our fourth quarter 2009 initial delivery."
Actual deliveries began late fourth quarter to retail customers in late 2011. I figure that as only two years late. Are you referring to some other earlier promised delivery day - prior to 2009?
And I am actually more the typical EV-type he described. That must be one reason why I recently sold my Karma (and for some other compelling reasons I will not dwell upon) and have now made a Model S reservation.@doug, you just described me. If I am the typical Karma owner, then you are spot on.
I meant no disrespect, I was just curious if there had been an earlier promised delivery date. I vividly remember reading about the Ray Lane delivery (I'm a long-time lurker before I finally joined) and I know that customers only really got their cars right before Christmas.There had been earlier statements about delivering the car in 2009 without specifying that it was at the end of the year. The first car was ceremoniously delivered to Ray Lane of Kleiner Perkins in July 2011 but because the car had not been approved by the California EPA (ARB) he could not legally drive it on the roads in California but, for a short while, Fisker was trying to count that as the start of the deliveries.
When the cars finally arrived, it was in very very late 2011, in last days of December 2011. If you go back and read the posts from that time frame here, you will see that we were actually tracking shipments from Germany to New Jersey and the first couple of shipments were 20-50 cars each and the volume shipments did not really start until late January, early February 2012.
I think the damage to the goodwill was done more by Fisker's denial and spinning than by the delay itself. If you have seen any of my posts, you will know that I am a huge supporter of the company and the car, and I absolutely love my Karma. But Fisker did not make it easy in the early days, and combined with all the political nonsense that ensued in the election year, they generated a lot of their own headwinds.
And I am actually more the typical EV-type he described. That must be one reason why I recently sold my Karma (and for some other compelling reasons I will not dwell upon) and have now made a Model S reservation.