By Deborah Netburn Justin Bieber turned 18 on Thursday and to celebrate, his manager surprised him with a Fisker Karma — a $100,000 electric car whose sporty physique belies its eco-friendliness.
Bieber’s manager, Scott Braun, presented the Canadian pop star with the car on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show,” of all places. “We wanted to make sure, since you love cars, that when you’re on the road
you are always looking environmentally friendly,” Braun said as DeGeneres beamed in the background. “And we decided to get you a car that would make you stand out. I think you know where I’m going, and you’re kind of freaking out right now. That’s a Fisker Karma.” A curtain was flourished, the car was revealed, and Bieber appeared to be in a state of shock.Wondering what makes the Fisker Karma so special? Well, first of all, it’s brand new — the car just hit showrooms in December. And there’s also that crazy price point: The Fisker Karma sells from between $95,000 to $108,000 before tax incentives. And there’s that whole eco-angle. Fisker, the Anaheim-based company behind the Fisker Karma, likes to say it is the world’s first luxury electric vehicle with extended range. The car runs on an 180 kW lithium-ion rechargeable battery, which our car reviewer described as being “roughly the size and a shape of a real-life Gumby.” The battery itself weighs 605 pounds. Bieber still may want to fill his car up with gas occasionally, though. On electricity alone his Karma will only be able to go for 30 to 50 miles, but when the battery gets a boost from a four-cylinder gas engine, it gets another 250 miles of range. The car also has a snazzy rooftop solar panel, that charges the battery just a bit. But Fisker said it could add up — giving drivers in sunny places like Los Angeles an extra 200,000 miles of range a year. From http://www.latimes.com/