Karma Automotive Launches E-Flex Platform
One of the limiting factors in developing electric vehicles is the cost of building a car from scratch. Southern California-based Karma, an EV company you may not have heard of (yet), wants to sell you their stunning and luxurious Revero—or help you build your own EV. Their goal is to be a “high-tech incubator” that provides other EV developers a jump-start with the tools they need to move quickly on their own projects.
This week (April 23, 2020) Karma announced the initial development-stage completion of its High-Performance E-Flex Platform. It’s the third project based on Karma’s proprietary technology, which offers modular platforms for extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
The High-Performance E-Flex all-wheel-drive platform is a powerhouse, using four front- and rear-mounted motors to produce 1,100 horsepower with 10,500 pound-feet of torque, good for an eyeball-flattening 1.9-second zero-to-60 time. Karma has developed a silicon carbide high-density inverter as well, which combined with a flat-floor battery, can power a 400-mile-range car.
Kevin Zhang, Chief Technology Officer, Karma Automotive, said: “The goal of all of Karma’s E-Flex platforms is to offer our partners a multitude of electric mobility solutions with different drive motor systems and battery pack variants; our High-Performance E-Flex platform is among the most premium of these configurations, offering unprecedented performance results.”
This new platform is great for building supercars, but Karma’s other versions of E-Flex platform include a BEV van with Level 4 autonomous technology, great for a future that likely includes mass deliveries.
Bottom line, the Karma E-Flex Platform will help vehicle manufacturers to engineer, test, certify and build their EVs more quickly and efficiently–and that’s a good thing.
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