The Fisker Karma's comeback is slowly gaining pace as the revived EV maker has reportedly signed a lease deal for a vehicle assembly plant in Southern Calif.
The Los Angeles Times reported last week that Fisker Automotive has signed an eleven-year deal to make use of a 556,000-square-foot industrial facility in Moreno Valley.
"The structure is attractive for operating an assembly line, because it is rectangular and 1,600 feet long," a real estate broker told the publication.
Reportedly, the factory is expected to generate 150 new jobs initially. It also marks the first time the region is hosting a vehicle assembly plant since General Motors pulled out of a Van Nuys factory in 1992.
Before filing for bankruptcy in 2013 and being bought by Chinese auto parts company Wanxiang Group a year later, the Fisker Karma was made in Finland by contractor Valmet Automotive, according to Green Car Reports.
As for the Delaware facility the Costa Mesa, Calif.-based plug-in hybrid maker bought in 2009, the website said the company's plans for it are still unknown.
As reported by Franchise Herald back in July, the new Karma is targeting a mid-2016 launch. But as an analyst said, re-entering the EV market will be "a bigger challenge" for Fisker than when it first came in.
Since production halted in 2012, rival Tesla Motors has cemented its reputation as a market leader with its Model S sedan. It's now getting ready to deliver its Model X SUV next month. The more affordable Model 3 is in the pipeline for a debut next year as well.
So far, Wanxiang hasn't revealed much about the new Fisker. But sources from the company shared a few details with Reuters back in February.
Supposedly, the plug-in hybrid will be renamed the "Elux Karma" which the sources claim will carry a $135,000 price tag.
Before production starts for the new Fisker Karma though, Wanxiang has to iron out the "bugs" it found in the plug-in hybrid's design first.
