Energy-Geek: Fisker Karma — Justin Bieber’s 18th Birthday Present (VIDEO)

Justin Bieber got a $ 100,000 plug-in hybrid with a solar panel roof, the Fisker Karma, for his 18th birthday. I envision most of our readers don’t listen to Bieber’s songs, but I thought this news may well be a bit of an item of interest for you. And it’s Friday, immediately after all, so why not have a small more enjoyable?

Justin Bieber's new electric car, as presented on Ellen.

If you’re interested in the birthday particulars, Scott Braun, Bieber’s manager, stunned Bieber with the vehicle on Ellen (the Ellen Degeneres Display) yesterday.

“We needed to make confident, since you adore autos, that when you’re on the road you are always hunting environmentally pleasant,” Braun stated as DeGeneres stood on the side and smiled big.

“And we made a decision to get you a car that would make you stand out. I think you know in which I’m going, and you’re kind of freaking out proper now. That’s a Fisker Karma.”

Bieber looked rather shocked, as you can see in this video:

The Fisker Karma is a bit contentious in the green vehicle scene. On the 1 hand, it is a plug-in hybrid, and it’s got a super sexy style, even its critics will note. However, the vehicle only gets about 30-50 miles on electrical energy alone.

Chris DeMorro of sister web site Gas2 thinks a lot more government assistance ought to be going towards Tesla Motors’ vehicles than Fisker Automotive’s. Basically, he recently named for the DOE to drop its assistance for Fisker and shift it more than to Tesla.

“If anything, Obama needs to reduce off Fisker’s funding and double down on Tesla. I know that sounds harsh, but so far Tesla is the only company with the indicates to build electric cars with the range and efficiency of standard gas-powered automobiles.”

Chris was a lot a lot more into the Karma back in March 2011. At that time, he wrote: “It would seem like its been a decade because Fisker very first launched the world to its super-attractive plug-in hybrid, the Karma (although it’s only just more than three many years). Ultimately though, the 1st Karma is total, with a lot more to come…. This has been a long time coming, and the Karma is at the top of the checklist of vehicles-I’d-give-up-beer-but-not-bacon-for. By no means providing up bacon (and there is often whiskey!)”

But Fisker has run into a quantity of problems that, he thinks, show it’s not as worthy of help as Tesla.

What are you thoughts? (And what are your thoughts on Justin Bieber obtaining the car and what that could do for broader public appeal, if you have any?) I have to say, I’m not an expert on Fisker or Bieber.

h/t LA Occasions