Positive Post of the Day: Fisker Brings Sanity to EREV Efficiency Ratings Edition

GM set off something of an insanity bomb a few weeks back by claiming their Volt moonshot would get 230 mpg based on draft EPA testing standards. Nissan countered via Twitter, claiming that its forthcoming Leaf EV would get 367 mpg using the same test, and the age of EV efficiency madness was initiated. Needless to say, neither the Volt nor the Leaf can be directly tested to give an apples-to-apples comparison to internal combustion-powered vehicles, and this opening salvo seemed bent on removing plausibility from the EV efficiency equation. But sanity in EV efficiency has an unlikely new champion in luxo-EREV maker Fisker.

Rather than trotting out an implausible number based on the same draft standards used by GM and Nissan, Fisker went with Society of Automotive Engineers standards. The result? Fisker’s four-door Karma EREV sports sedan is rated at a thoroughly sane, altogether plausible (by comparison) 67 mpg.

That’s not a bad number—considering the Karma claims the equivalent of 403 hp and a 0-60 time of about six seconds. Even so, there’s a thick stack of issues with any EV efficiency rating system. The Karma’s performance and efficiency depend heavily on the mode selected (e.g., Sport or “Stealth”) and the zealotry of the driver’s right foot.

Still, Fisker made an important statement by eschewing the testing system used for the Volt’s 230 mpg claim. The Karma will avoid the plausibility gap that will surely engulf the Volt if final EPA ratings bring the Volt’s sticker rating far below the 230 mpg mark. [ED: what are the odds?] And if the Volt’s rating reflects the testing that the EPA will actually be using, the Karma could find its rating improving when it goes to market. As Fisker claims that the Karma’s drivetrain is said to be highly Volt-related, the Karma’s extra performance probably won’t cost it 150 mpg.

Most importantly, though, Fisker has drawn a line in the sand by ignoring the siren call of EV mpg inflation. For that alone we should be grateful.