Californian EV-maker Karma is back and its new Kaveya hypercar is pulling no punches

(Image credit: Karma Automotive)

published 16 November 2023

In the words of legendary crooner Burt Bacharach, "Breaking up is so very hard to do" – and Karma Automotive didn't make it easy on itself when it split with original owner and designer Henrik Fisker.

Granted, both brands involved are now dating again, with Henrik Fisker ploughing ahead with his Ocean and upcoming PEAR, Alaska and Ronin electric vehicles, but it was Karma that arguably took a little longer to get over the heartache.

Until now, Karma Automotive has tried but struggled to get things properly off the ground, with the previous generation Karma Revero selling in small numbers before being axed and unsuccessfully replaced.

Well forget all that, the manufacturer has announced its return to the EV arena in a big way, unveiling the 1,180bhp Kaveya, alongside a refreshed line-up of people in suits determined to make a success of the brand.

It looks phenomenal, fusing elements of angular, almost modern Japanese sports car design with more curvaceous European influence. Underneath the aluminium space frame and carbon fibre body panels lurks a whopping 120kWh battery pack that sends juice to either the rear wheels in the 'mild' version or all four wheels in the range-topping nutter.

Performance levels for the all-wheel-drive version are unhinged, with Karma Automotive stating that it will crack the 0-60mph sprint in under three seconds (although what EV doesn’t these days?) and go on to a top speed of 180mph.

Range is pegged at around 250-miles, while charging times for these chunky batteries will take a slightly snooze-inducing 45-minutes to go from 10-80 per cent. It’s nothing ground-breaking, but then that’s the compromise if 1,180bhp is the sort of power output you desire.

The most potent Kaveya won’t be delivered until 2026, but Karma Automotive says it is already working on the rear-wheel-drive option, which is slated to pump out a respectable 536bhp and will be available early 2025.

In addition to the Kaveya, the company also says it will release a shapely electric saloon in the form of the 250-mile range, 590bhp,135mph Gyesera, while the OG Fisker Karma will return wearing fancy new clothes and going by the name of Revero. It is slated to offer a hybrid range of 360-miles, with the batteries capable of 65-miles on electricity alone.

Expect to see new models unveiled from the end of 2024, although keen Karma fans can, in true start-up form, start reserving now.

Leon has been writing about automotive and consumer tech for longer than he cares to divulge. When he’s not testing the latest fitness wearable and action camera, he’s out in a shed fawning over his motorcycles or trying not to kill himself on a mountain bike/surfboard/other extreme thing. He's also a man who knows his tools, and he's provided much of T3's drills coverage over the years, all without injuring himself.