An unnamed source has told Reuters that the company is rushing to finish a new version of the Fisker Karma, and hopes to reintroduce it “by next year.”

“It will have to be nearly identical to the 2012 model, or it would need to go through [safety] testing and certification again,” a supplier source said. “I don’t think they want to put a lot of engineering into it either, as well as probably use up some of the old parts that are in inventory.” However, the new model will not be “100 percent identical. The new Karma will be different in many key areas. It will have noticeable upgrades.”

A Wanxiang spokesman in China declined to comment, and employees at Fisker’s California headquarters said they were not authorized to speak to the media.

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Some sources were skeptical Fisker can get rolling so quickly. One said the automaker is “not there yet,” and needs to resolve issues related to suppliers and production location. In July, Pin Ni, President of Wanxiang’s US division, spoke of “about 250 bugs” that need fixing.

Some of Fisker’s old suppliers are still uptight about losing money in Fisker’s flameout, said the mystery men. “They lost money and had dedicated facilities that were severely underutilized. Many scrapped their tools or took them out of their facilities.”

Source: Reuters via Green Car Reports