Irvine, Calif.-based Fisker Automotive is going to Finland for the production of its first plug-in hybrid, announcing today that Valmet Automotive, which makes Porsche's Boxter and Cayman models, will produce the Karma sedan beginning in the fourth quarter of 2009.

The news comes on the same day that Detroit's General Motors (NYSE: GM) said it would implement further layoffs and reductions in its truck production as a result of a significant shift in consumer demand toward smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles.

Last month, GM said it would close four plants in North America that build the now-unpopular trucks. Dearborn, Mich.'s Ford Motor (NYSE: F) also started laying off workers recently, as well as temporarily closing plants and putting off the release of its redesigned F-150 pickup.

But at Fisker, the popularity of the Karma plug-in hybrid keeps growing.

"We're actually close to about a thousand orders right now," Maggie Figueroa, a spokeswoman for Fisker Automotive, told the Cleantech Group. "We're continuing to receive lots of orders on a daily basis."

Fisker Automotive signed a letter of intent with Valmet, but did not disclose the financial terms or the length of the deal.

The first Karma's are expected to be delivered in North America in the fourth quarter of 2009, with planned delivery to Europe in 2010. Annual production is projected to reach 15,000 cars in the first year of manufacturing, with more than half of the sales expected to be overseas.

Valmet, a subsidiary of Finnish engineering group Metso (OTC: MXCYY), has been making the Porsche Boxter since 1997 and the Cayman since 2005, but that deal will end in 2012. Last month Porsche said it had chosen Austria's Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik, which already manufactures many components for Porsche, as its future contract manufacturer.

Unlike the popular Prius from Japan's Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM), the Karma will be a serial hybrid, with a small gasoline engine that is only used to recharge the lithium ion battery pack. The batteries are the workhorse, powering the electric motor which turns the wheels.

Take a look at a rendering of the Karma here >>

That serial hybrid powertrain, called the Q-Drive, is made by Irvine, Calif.'s Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies (Nasdaq: QTWW), a joint venture partner in Fisker Automotive. Fisker Coachbuild, a maker of high-end, limited edition sports cars, formed Fisker Automotive with Quantum Fuel Systems last September (see Attack of the plug-in hybrids!).

The venture has funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Palo Alto Investors.

The Karma will be a four door sports sedan with 50 miles of electric range and more than 350 miles of total range, with the potential for a fuel economy of over 100 miles per gallon on extended drives.

With a pricetag of $80,000 to $85,000, the Karma will have a top speed of 125 miles per hour and go from zero to 60 in less than six seconds.

The company plans to manufacture future models in the U.S., but it's keeping tight-lipped on the details of those vehicles.

"In the future we will be exploring other options," said Figueroa. "Right now our full concentration is on the Fisker Karma. That's the one model that we are devoting our time to right now."

Fisker Automotive isn't the only new car company moving forward amid Detroit's pains. San Carlos, Calif.-based Tesla Motors recently announced that it would build its upcoming Model S sedan in California to take advantage of a significant tax incentive for cleantech car companies (see Zero emission car makers get tax break in California).

The Renault Nissan Alliance is also expanding its reach, announcing last week that it will work with the government of Portugal to promote electric cars in the country, marking the third country to team up with the alliance on an electric vehicle project (see Renault Nissan to bring electric cars to Portugal).

The Renault Nissan Alliance was formed by France's Renault and Japan's Nissan Motor (Nasdaq: NSANY) in 1999.

Palo Alto, Calif.-based Project Better Place, an electric car charging network startup, is a partner with the alliance on deals in Israel and Denmark, and is a likely contender for a partnership in Portugal as well.

For Fisker Automotive, a final contract with Valmet is expected to be signed within the next few months.