Fisker Automotive claims that 225 Karmas have shipped to its US dealerships and that an additional 1,200 units are "in the pipeline."

After multiple production delays and a couple of price hikes, Fisker Automotive, the California-based manufacturer of the Karma, announced last week that shipments of its luxury plug-in hybrid sedan are finally reaching dealerships across the US.

According to Henrik Fisker, the company's CEO, at least 225 Karmas have been shipped to dealerships and an additional 1,200 units are "in the pipeline."

Though behind schedule, Fisker remains confident that its plug-in Karma will carve out its own niche with buyers seeking a luxury vehicle that consumes almost no gasoline during daily commutes.

Due to certification delays and faulty component issues, Karma sales will fall well below the automaker's previously announced target of 3,000 by the end of 2011. Yet, production is now holding steady at 25 units per day and is expected to ramp up to 60 units per day by mid-2012.

Blessing in Disguise

Maybe it's a good thing that more have not been shipped so far. A123 Systems, makers of the lithium-ion battery packs used in the 2012 Fisker Karma, announced on Dec. 23 that the packs have a "potential safety issue" related to the cooling system.

"Certain hose clamps that are part of the battery pack’s internal cooling system were misaligned, positioned in such a way that could potentially cause a coolant leak,” said David Vieau, A123’s chief executive, in a company statement. “Over time, it is possible that in certain rare circumstances, this coolant leak could potentially lead to an electrical short circuit."

The company developed a fix, which is now being implemented. Fortunately, fewer than 50 Fisker Karmas are involved in the correction.