Karma Revero GT
100 mpg. 403 horsepower - With soul-stirring design and a dominant presence, the new Karma Revero GT is the most elegant luxury electric vehicle ever made.
Five years ago, Karma, a high-tech mobility incubator, seemingly sprung up out of the deserts of Southern California looking to change the way people look at electric cars. They didn’t buy into the notion that consumers had to choose between being environmentally conscious or feeling luxurious.
After just a few years, the engineers at Karma may have proven themselves correct in the form of the 2020 Karma Revero GT. The four-door sedan was recently named the Green Car Journal’s 2020 Luxury Green Car of the Year at the Washington Auto Show in Washington D.C.
“Karma will always be known for creating soul-stirring luxury electric vehicles that combine technology, environmental performance and world-class craftsmanship,” said Karma CEO Dr. Lance Zhou. “The Karma family is grateful that Green Car Journal recognizes Karma’s continued efforts to offering a luxury EV that provides the best of both worlds – extended EV capability without any range anxiety.”
Its competition for the award came from companies that have a long and storied history in the automobile business. They included the BMW 745e, the Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring, the Porsche Taycan and the Range Rover Evoque.
While each of the cars are amazing in their own right, it was the Revero GT that stood out to the judges in its ability to combine luxury and sporting characteristics into one environmentally friendly automobile.
“The Karma Revero GT epitomizes what a luxury car should be in a modern age,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and GreenCarJournal.com. “The Revero GT features a compelling design with performance characteristics to match. Importantly, this extended-range electric sedan’s ability to drive up to 80 zero-emission miles on battery power alone and 360 miles overall suits all driving needs.”
The fact that it only took half a decade for Karma to take home such a prestigious award may have caught the auto industry off guard. But not those inside the company. According to Karma Vice President, J. Joost De Vries, this type of take over was always part of the plan.
“This is our second-generation product, so I think we’re a little bit beyond startup now,” De Vries said. “But if you look at what’s happening in the luxury market, there are so many startups today. You have to start in the luxury fields, because that is where people can afford your products. Our volumes are low. Luxury is about the exclusivity. So if you want to do something as a new company, your costs will be high. So you need to be in the luxury field and be able to survive in the luxury field.”
The 2020 Revero product line is offered in two styles: The Revero GT, Karma’s definitive luxury electric vehicle currently available through Karma’s North American retail network, and Revero GTS. With a leather interior, the handmade ride has a base MSRP of $135,000 and comes in 13 varying colors.
The luxury sport sedan features an all-new series hybrid drivetrain delivering a greater 80-mile battery electric range, and 360 mile range overall with electricity from its BMW-sourced engine-generator.
But, according to De Vries, just because the Revero GT is a green car, doesn’t mean it can’t turn heads as well.
“We sell design. Luxury is all about stories. It’s about design. It’s about exclusivity. It is about having something to offer in a market that other people don’t have,” De Vries said. “So for us, design was everything. The stands, the proportions of this car, the wheel-base, enormous wheels. It is all speaks towards that design thing. Everything else will follow.”