Fisker Automotive, a joint venture with Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies, says it will ship a luxury sedan plug-in hybrid in the fourth quarter of next year.

The Fisker Hybrid will go 50 miles in electric-only mode, hitting the sweet spot for vehicles to be able to handle most daily commutes without tapping the gas tank. No pricing was announced, but the world luxury hints that it will be more than $50k.

The company says it will have an optional PV array for the roof, but before you start rolling your eyes, read on:

"The Fisker Hybrid will be offered with an optional roof-integrated solar photovoltaic generation system supplied by Asola to provide power for ventilation when parking, pre-air conditioning of the vehicle, supplemental cooling of the lithium-ion battery pack, and opportunity trickle charging of the vehicle batteries."

This is smart. The power from a small array on the roof would never be substantial enough to charge a battery, but using it to keep the car cool makes sense. Quantum is selling a solar package with the system which would reduce the carbon footprint of operating the car to almost nothing.

Fisker may have the commercial plug-in market to itself as GM is already backpedaling on its promise of a Chevrolet Volt in 2010.

This looks to be an early adopter vehicle, but it will spur consumer interest and bodes well for more mainstream cars.