2012 Fisker Karma Ecosport on 2040-cars

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Henrik Fisker seeking Indian joint venture

Henrik Fisker may have backed out of the luxury hybrid automaker that bore his name, but don't dismiss him as down for the count just yet. In his latest initiative, the Dutch automotive designer is looking into starting up a joint venture in India. According to the Economic Times, Fisker was recently on the sub-continent visiting factories and holding meetings with Indian automakers that could see some sort of joint venture announced in the next three to four months, with Henrik himself tipped to join the board of his partnering automaker in an advisory capacity. India is home to such automakers as Tata, Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra. It's now been a year since the designer parted company with Fisker Automotive, which was bought by Chinese parts supplier Wangxiang for $150 million. Since then, Fisker's penned designs on an ad-hoc basis, including a high-end Mustang for Galpin and a custom motorcycle for Viking, through his new consultancy HF Design & Technology. Before starting Fisker Automotive, Henrik Fisker designed such notable machinery as the Aston Martin DB9, BMW Z8 and the ill-fated but beautiful Artega GT. He then got into the coachbuilding business, rebodying Mercedes SLs and BMW M6s for discerning and wealthy customers. News Source: Economic TimesImage Credit: Nam Y. Huh/AP Design/Style Green Fisker Henrik Fisker

Fisker's forthcoming luxury crossover to get a name this week

Automotive designer and entrepreneur Henrik Fisker has been busy teasing his upcoming luxury electric SUV on social media, promising more information including a name this week and releasing a slew of new images, a short video clip and a few juicy new details. The big news is the promised reveal of a production-intent prototype version in January, not December as was once promised, and that it will be made available exclusively via a “no hassle” subscription that Fisker says will be flexible with no long-term contract and a full warranty. When asked by a Twitter user whether the subscription plan would be similar to the Volvo XC40 under the Care by Volvo subscription program, Fisker said the cost would be “way, way, way lower,” with a higher annual mileage allotment and no minimum term. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. For comparisonÂ’s sake, Volvo makes the XC40 crossover available starting at $700 per month under its Care by Volvo subscription service, with a 15,000-mile annual cap. Fisker promised more details about the subscription plan on Nov. 27, when he will also launch a mobile app and open up reservations. Along with the official unveiling in January will come word of a partnership for an EV charging network, Fisker said in response to another Twitter user. He also revealed plans to launch production in late 2021 with high-volume ramp up in 2022. We also are treated to a brief video clip of the SUV in front three-quarters view, highlighting the slim LED headlights and another strip below them on the bumper, plastic cladding around the wheel wells and seven-spoke wheels. It also appears that the door handles are illuminated. When we last checked in on Fisker Automotive it was to show you an overhead view of the crossoverÂ’s solar panel rooftop, an idea borrowed from the 2011 Fisker Karma. Fisker at the time also teased a new battery-electric pickup truck, one of two new additional models to come after the SUV. We also know to expect a range of around 300 miles from the at least 80 kWh lithium-ion battery and a turn signal that wraps around from back into the D pillar for added notification when you change lanes. Total price has been pegged at just under $40,000.

Recharge Wrap-up: VW CEO mulls battery factory, voters approve $201B in transportation funding

Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Muller says that it would "make sense" for the automaker to begin producing its own batteries. As the company moves toward electrification, Muller says it would be a smart move to build a battery factory. "If more than a quarter of our cars are to be electronic vehicles in the foreseeable future then we are going to need approximately 3 million batteries a year," he says. Volkswagen has agreed to cut 30,000 jobs in its restructuring, while committing to creating 9,000 jobs in Germany through battery manufacturing and mobility services. Read more at Automotive News Europe. Election results show a desire for transportation funding. Earlier this month, voters in 22 states approved ballot measures adding up to $201 billion in funding for transportation projects, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. California passed 15 transportation measures, including one in Los Angeles worth $120 billion for roads, bridges, and transit. The state of Washington secured $54 billion for light rail and buses. Atlanta approved about $4 billion for road and transit projects. Illinois and New Jersey passed measures to prevent the diversion of transportation user fee revenue to other industries. Read more from ITS International. The US Department of Energy (DOE) must hand over confidential documents about Fisker's bankruptcy. A Delaware federal judge ordered the DOE to give the documents – which concern a presentation by Fisker to the DOE in which it falsely claimed to meet milestones set forth in a government loan – to lawyers in a case in which investors claim Fisker lied to them about financial troubles. While the DOE has given over documents already, they were incomplete and heavily redacted. "I understand that such disclosures may have a negative impact on future DOE analyses," says US District Judge Sue Robinson. "but conclude nonetheless that under the circumstances at bar – the public money at stake, the Congressional hearings, and the fact that Fisker Automotive is now a defunct company – the balance of interests favors plaintiffs." Read more at Law360. Related Gallery Volkswagen I.D.