2025 Karma Kaveya Coupe

　　2025 Karma Kaveya Review

　　Will it be available in red, gold and green?

　　byCameron RogersManager, News

　　Cameron Rogers has worked in the automotive industry since 2013. He has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Today, he leads the news team in developing cutting-edge news articles, opinion pieces and sneak peeks at upcoming vehicles. Favorite cars that he's driven during his tenure at zzdcar include the 991-era Porsche 911 Turbo S, Rolls-Royce Ghost and several generations of Honda Odyssey (really).

　　11/13/2023

　　Electric super sedans and SUVs are a dime a dozen these days, but only a handful of automakers have attempted creating an exotic EV sports car. Karma Automotive thinks there's opportunity in this uncontested space, electing to launch one of its first vehicles as a high-end coupe. Meet the 2025 Karma Kaveya, a grand tourer with scissor doors and more than 1,000 horsepower under the proverbial hood.

　　Let's back up a second, because it's been a minute since we touched base with Karma Automotive. To recap, Karma Automotive was formed from the ashes of Fisker Automotive — which is not to be confused with the modern Fisker Inc. (though designer Henrik Fisker founded both companies) — after various setbacks ended the automaker and its sole vehicle, the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid. Chinese conglomerate Wanxiang Group bought Fisker's assets and created Karma Automotive to build updated versions of the Fisker Karma. These included the Karma Revero GT and Karma GS-6.

　　But Karma is going in a totally different direction from here on out. While the company's first fully electric car, the Gyesera, will essentially be an EV variant of the revived Revero, the Kaveya is truly new. It's stunning to look at and features innovative functional and design elements. It's also the car that Karma is using to relaunch the brand's positioning in the marketplace as it seeks to deliver what President Marques McCammon calls the "embodiment of American luxury."

　　What's under the Kaveya's hood?

　　Karma plans to sell two versions of the Kaveya, starting with the dual-motor rear-wheel-drive model with 536 horsepower. This will be the launch configuration for the Kaveya when it debuts in late 2025. Interested buyers looking for a little more super from their supercar will want to wait till the end of 2026, when the far more potent tri-motor all-wheel-drive model is released.

　　This Kaveya boasts an astounding 1,180 horsepower and 1,270 lb-ft of torque capable, Karma says, of launching the sport coupe from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds. While that's incredibly fast for a vehicle of any kind (on par with a Lamborghini Huracán STO), we're hoping that the Kaveya's finalized acceleration figures are actually a few tenths quicker. We've tested a number of high-performance EVs, including the Tesla Model X Plaid and Lucid Air, that have less power than the Kaveya on paper and sprint to 60 mph in the mid-2-second range.

　　All Kaveyas will use a 120-kWh battery pack mounted behind the driver and passenger, giving the interior the physical feel and layout of a mid-engine sports car. Karma says the battery pack is large enough for the Kaveya to deliver more than 250 miles of range. Again, this seems conservative, and we expect the final EPA figure to be more impressive. Even with summer tires, a heavier curb weight and a smaller battery pack, the Model X Plaid manages an EPA-estimated range of 311 miles. Finally, the Kaveya has a high-voltage electrical architecture for rapid DC charging. According the Karma, it can charge from 10% to 80% capacity in as quickly as 45 minutes.

　　The Kaveya's exterior features some of the coolest design elements, from the wiper blades hidden under a retracting panel for better aesthetics to headlights concealed behind covers, inspired by the popup headlights of the '80s and '90s. But the coolest part is the active rear spoiler. In its least aggressive deployed setting, a rear section raises from the middle, like the ducktail spoiler on certain 911 models. But when fully deployed, the trailing edges extend outward, creating a full shelf that makes the Kaveya look like it's in full-time attack mode.

　　How's the Kaveya's interior?

　　The Kaveya is a little tricky to get into due to its scissor doors, but once you're inside it actually feels pretty roomy. Despite the sleek profile and mid-engine-like layout, there's plenty of legroom and headroom for tall passengers. The interior design features sharp, origami-like creases and folds, but it also never feels fussy. We did clock a disappointing lack of physical buttons, however, with Karma going full touchscreen and capacitive buttons. We hope the UI designers do a thorough job of stress-testing functionality because we haven't been fans of capacitive-heavy designs from other manufacturers.

　　

Am I Ready for an EV?

EV ownership works best if you can charge (240V) at home or at work This typically means a 240V home installation, but you could also have a similar setup at your office or other places your car is already parked for several hours each day. Don't expect a regular household outlet (120V) to suffice unless you've got a plug-in hybrid, in which case overnight charging at home is feasible.

　　If you can’t charge at home, charging at a charging station could take at least 10x longer than at a gas station With public charging infrastructure still in its infancy, the user experience can be maddeningly inconsistent. Tesla owners tend to rave about the reliability and speed of the company's proprietary Supercharger stations, but rival DC fast options have thus far been plagued by technical issues and overcrowding. It's an evolving landscape and our best advice is to do your research on the available options for the EV you want to buy.

　　Adding a 240V home charging system could cost up to $1,600 or more If your existing electrical service can handle the additional demands of EV charging, you may be able to add Level 2 charging at home for less than a grand, including installation. But your costs will multiply if you need to upgrade your electrical panel or add a dedicated circuit.

　　Learn more about EV charging

　　zzdcar says

　　The 2025 Karma Kaveya features a stunning design, innovative features and impressive output figures. We think these attributes might be enough to counteract the less than class-leading range and acceleration numbers.