Fisker Automotive Gets Backing from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
1/15/08 – Irvine-based Fisker Automotive, a startup that is working on a range of environmentally friendly sports cars, has secured a second round of funding, from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Fisker is a joint venture of Quantum Fuel Systems and Fisker Coachbuild that was launched in September, 2007. The firms did not disclose the funding amount.
Fisker is also debuting its first production car this week and next at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The company says it anticipates making initial deliveries of the car toward the end of 2009.
The venture is benefiting from a proprietary system developed by Quantum called “Q-Drive,” which it says is a high-performance plug-in-hybrid electric vehicle architecture. It says the Q-Drive plug-in hybrid electric drive system is designed to achieve 50 miles of zero emission, battery-only range while providing combined gasoline-electric hybrid operation to enable uncompromised vehicle range and performance.
Fisker Automotive received initial capital funding from Palo Alto Investors.
Fisker Automotive – www.fiskerautomotive.com
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