Fisker Automotive signs a new engine sharing agreement with BMW. The maker of the recently launched Karma extended-range plug-in vehicle will make use of BMW’s newest N20 2.0 liter four-cylinder TwinPower engine which will serve as on-board power generators for Fisker’s Nina line of plug-in cars.
The Nina model starts production next year at a Delaware plant previously operated by General Motors. The Nina family will include a sedan, coupe and crossover vehicle.
“The BMW engine was an obvious choice for us, as BMW is known for producing the best and most fuel efficient gasoline engines in the world,” said Fisker CEO Henrik Fisker. The company started production of the 403-horsepower Karma earlier this year and the super sporty vehicle will go on sale with a price tag of $96,850.
At Geneva Motor Show, BMW introduced the all-new 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine, codename N20. The engine will not only power the entry-level Z4, but also next year’s 528i and the new, redesigned 328i. The new 2.0 liter engine combines highpressure direct-injection and BMW’s VALVETRONIC intake control. The turbocharger is a twin-scroll system. The exhaust streams leaving the two pairs of cylinders are kept completely separate as they flow through the exhaust manifold and the turbocharger.
The engine produces 240 horsepower between 5,000 and 6,500 and 260 lb-ft of torque.
Press Release:
Anaheim, CA – September 1, 2011: Fisker Automotive announced today the signing of an agreement with BMW that will cover the supply of engines and other components for future Fisker models.
BMW will supply a four-cylinder turbocharged engine for the next generation of Fisker cars, code-named ‘Project Nina’, which are scheduled to go into production in the re-commissioned former GM plant in Wilmington, Delaware at the end of 2012 and be on sale globally in 2013.
The agreement calls for up to 100,000 engine units per year at peak volume.
The first ‘Project Nina’ derivative will be a mid-size premium sedan utilizing Fisker’s EVer™ (electric vehicle with extended range) technology to deliver on Fisker’s corporate vision of Uncompromised Responsible Luxury.
Fisker ‘s CEO and Executive Design Director, Henrik Fisker, comments; “The BMW engine was an obvious choice for us, as BMW is known for producing the best and most fuel efficient gasoline engines in the world. We are very pleased to have signed this agreement with BMW.”
Fisker’s Chief Operating Officer, Bernhard Koehler, adds; “This is an important agreement for Fisker. We are focused on building environmentally responsible cars that deliver Pure Driving Passion to our discerning customers. Who better to be a part of this exciting ‘recipe’ than BMW – the makers of the Ultimate Driving Machine?”
California-based Fisker Automotive recently established a European office in Munich, Germany and has publicly stated that both the Fisker Karma Sedan and ‘Project Nina’ lines are global vehicles with sales likely to be split equally in the US and Europe (40% each), with Asia (20%) providing the remainder.
[Source: Fisker ]
