EV automaker Karma Automotive is further focusing its production strategy to support commercial EVs, more specifically B-ON, under a new manufacturing partnership announced this week. Karma will begin production this year at its ISO-certified facility in California with the capability to produce up to 30,000 electric vehicles annually with the intent to expand from there to meet the demand for B-ON’s vehicles.
Karma Automotive is an American luxury EV automaker spun out from the first iteration of Fisker Automotive after Chinese auto-parts supplier Wanxiang Group purchased the company’s assets in 2014. The acquisition included the Fisker Karma sedan, from which the new name was derived.
In 2016, the rebranded auto manufacturer released the Revero, which was a revamped version of Fisker Karma. It was followed by the Revero GT, which was intended to become the brand’s halo vehicle but never really reached the potential the automaker sought for it.
In 2021, Karma introduced its new GS line of EVs, including a GS-6 PHEV and all-electric GS-e6, which again, never truly emerged in the EV market. By the summer of 2021, Karma Automotive announced it was expanding outside of the world of electric passenger vehicles to assist commercial fleets in speedier electrification.
Honestly, we have heard little from the company since then until news emerged late last night that it has signed a manufacturing agreement with B-ON to produce light commercial EVs at its own facilities.
Karma Automotive to begin building eLCVs later this year
Karma has announced that it has formed a partnership with B-ON to produce the company’s eLCVs at its 555,000-square-foot facility in California beginning this year. Karma Automotive states it will produce an initial run of B-ON’s all-electric delivery trucks in 2023 ahead of full-scale production in 2024.
Neither company shared how many eLCVs Karma is aiming to produce this year, but its current footprint has the capability to manufacture 30,000 vehicles annually. Karma Automotive CEO Jeff Wawryzniak spoke to the new partnership with B-ON:
It’s abundantly clear to us at Karma that the market for electric commercial vehicles is poised for rapid growth. B-ON’s product is a proven winner in this market, and we are proud to be partnering with B-ON to be the exclusive manufacturer in North America of their last mile delivery vehicles. Their product combined with our existing technical expertise and Customized Flexible Manufacturing operational capabilities as an OEM is a recipe for success, both in 2023 and down the line as the partnership grows.
The automakers state that B-ON’s demand continues to grow in the US, Canada, and Latin America and hope expanded production in California can help deliver more electric commercial vehicles to those markets. B-ON founder and CEO Stefan Krause also spoke:
Demand for our electric light commercial vehicles is quickly expected to outstrip our capacity to build them in Germany alone. We knew we would need to expand production capacity this year, and Karma’s facility in California perfectly positions us to address the booming North and South American markets while also giving us access to their world-class workforce and capabilities.
Pre-production of the B-ON eLCVs at Karma Automotive’s Innovation and Customization Center is expected to commence in July.