Fisker, now known as Fisker Automotive and Technology Group (FATG), is to build a plant to assemble the Karma plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), according to a press release from the City of Moreno Valley, California, which will be the location of the new site. The plant will be built in a newly constructed 55,670-square feet facility, which the company will lease. FATG expects to create about 150 full-time manufacturing jobs, though the production start date of the relaunched model was not indicated. The city authority stated that FATG will have a vehicle showroom on the site and provide tours of the manufacturing plant. In the statement, FATG chief marketing officer Jim Taylor said, "Fisker believes in the quality, work ethic and competitiveness of manufacturing in the USA. California's natural beauty, trend setting, technology and environmental focus are perfectly aligned with our Karma re-launch."
Significance: Since being acquired by Wanxiang Group in 2013, Fisker has slowly been advancing plans to return to vehicle manufacturing. In May, the company launched a website for owners of the vehicles, though the contact section apologises for the company's inability to handle queries in a timely fashion, based on the volume of calls. The customer service section provides OEM parts and maintenance services, with current owners covered for repairs up to USD2,000, while original owners receive an additional USD2,000 plus USD1,000 for labour. Once the Karma is finally relaunched on the market, it runs a significant risk of being perceived as outdated compared with market competitors, if there are no notable changes to the model. For our previous coverage of Fisker's return to vehicle manufacturing,
