Fisker, Penske team up to open Arizona dealership
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Luxury plug-in hybrid maker Fisker Automotive Inc. said today it has opened a dealership with Penske Automotive Group in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The store gives Fisker 80 retail outlets globally, 48 in North America. The Scottsdale dealership’s grand opening is scheduled for next month, a company official said.
Penske operates 336 dealerships representing 42 brands, plus 29 collision repair centers, according to a statement.
Fisker makes the Karma plug-in hybrid, which travels about 50 miles on lithium ion battery power before a gasoline engine takes over. The car has had trouble with its batteries -- including a shutdown during testing by Consumer Reports magazine. Fisker said last month it has sold 1,000 Karmas. They are priced at $103,000, including shipping, before a $7,500 federal tax credit.
A statement announcing the dealership did not indicate if more Fisker-Penske dealerships were in the works.
Matthew Malfitano, Fisker’s director of North American operations, said in the statement: Penske’s “support speaks volumes about Fisker’s market potential. Fisker is proud to be part of the Penske team and we look forward to a fruitful relationship.”
Penske, headed by Roger Penske, ranks No. 2 on the Automotive News list of the top 125 dealership groups in the United States with total new vehicle sales of 154,829 in 2011.
You can reach Vince Bond Jr. at vbond@crain.com. -- Follow Vince on 
