Karma Automotive to move HQ and open store in former Kawasaki HQ in Irvine

A few weeks after Karma Automotive had an “online unveiling” for its new Revero, the automaker announced that it will move its headquarters to a new building in Irvine, California. The building (pictured above) is Kawasaki’s former USA headquarters. 

The company also confirmed that it will open its first company-owned store at the new location. Last month, Karma announced that it will distribute its cars through both dealers and company-owned stores, but at the time, it only announced dealer agreements and no official stores.

OC Register talked to Bixby, Karma’s new landlord, about the new location:

Kawasaki moved this summer to Foothill Ranch. Bixby bought the 262,000-square-foot Irvine building last April for roughly $44 million. It was planning a $20 million renovation before the new lease with Karma preempted those plans. Karma will conduct its own improvements, a Bixby representative said Wednesday.

The two-building campus includes a two-story atrium. Bixby, in renovating the site, sought “a progressive-minded tenant that would value the unique configuration,” Aaron Hill, executive vice president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.

The building is located at 9950 Jeronimo Road in Irvine. Here are renderings of the plans for the renovation:

As we reported earlier this month, the Karma should officially debut the Revero next month. The luxury sedan is expected to go on sale for $115,000 with deliveries starting in 2017. The vehicle is expected to have about 50 miles of all-electric range before the gasoline engine kicks in.