The EPA Calls The 2012 "Fisker Karma" A Subcompact

The Fisker Karma is 5 metres long and tips the scales at 2,400 kilograms. Sounds more like a 1960s Lincoln than an extended-range green machine capable of 51 kilometres on electric power alone, doesn't it? Actually, if you ask the Environmental Protection Agency, the Karma is a lot more like a subcompact. That's because the Karma features interior volume of less than 100 cubic feet, and Auto Observer reminds us that the EPA classifies vehicles based on cabin volume. This odd determinant of vehicle size means that the Aston Martin Rapide, Ford Mustang and the Bentley Continental Convertible are all subcompacts. If that makes no sense to you, you're not alone. Automakers have long used the overall exterior length to classify vehicle size. As you can imagine, Fisker isn't all that thrilled with the EPA's subcompact label or its methodology for determining fuel economy. The automaker claims that the EPA used a worst-case scenario to come up with 51 kilometres on electric power, and the company maintains it is certain that the Karma can travel 80 kilometres without using any gasoline. Overall, the Karma received a rating of equivalent to 4.5 litres per 100 kilometres due to the fact that it averaged just 11.7 l/100 km on gas-only power during EPA testing.