Fledgling green car company Fisker Automotive is to open a new engineering centre in Pontiac, Michigan, the company has announced.
The news comes just weeks after a lawsuit against the company from rival manufacturer Tesla was thrown out.
Fisker's new 34,000 square foot facility will be used to develop its first production car - the 100mpg-plus Karma, a luxury petrol-electric hybrid saloon.
It should also create jobs in the area, as Fisker will employ 200 engineers in the plant.
"The available talent, supplier base and infrastructure in Michigan will help us reach our production goal," said Fisker Automotive's chief operating officer, Bernhard Koehler.
Modern electric car makers Fisker and rival Tesla Motors have been based exclusively in California until now. Fisker's move signifies a new crossover between Silicon Valley and America's traditional home of car manufacturing, Michigan.
Fisker says its Karma four-seater will offers a 50-mile electric range with a total range of 350 miles possible at over 100mpg. The electric drivetrain should allow a 0-60mph time under six seconds and a top speed of 125mph.
The company maintains it will be able to bring the Karma to market by the end of 2009 and plans to build 15,000 vehicles per year by 2011.
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Re: Fisker opens new facility
This is a fabulous looking car, just the sort of thing you dreamed of as "the car of the future" when you were a kid. I hope they make a huge success of it, good luck to them.
Re: Fisker opens new facility
It's a very nice looking car! Good luck to Fisker Automotive.