Fisker announced today the purchase of a former GM plant in Wilmington, Delaware, where it plans to build a smaller, more affordable plug-in hybrid than the Karma (pictured above). The car, simply known as “Project Nina” will be a family oriented plug-in hybrid priced under $40,000 after rebates. In other words, priced around the Chevy Volt. Production is hoped to begin near the end of 2012.
The plans are ambitious, but Fisker shines a bright light in a country that has been bleeding manufacturing jobs. By 2014, Fisker hopes to create 2,000 factory jobs, and 3,000 jobs for vendors and suppliers. Fisker claims full capacity at the plant will be 75,000 to 100,000 cars a year, with about half of all production exported.
Fisker is buying the plant for $18 million USD from Motors Liquidation Co., better known as “Old GM.” The company will invest $175 million to retool the plant before production begins in 2012. The last cars GM built at the Wilmington plant were the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, and Opel GT. GM ceased production of the trio of tw0-seater sports cars in Spring of 2009.