2012 Fisker Karma Sport on 2040-cars

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Fisker introduces the $37,499 Ocean EV crossover ahead of CES 2020

Fisker unveiled an electric crossover named Ocean during a private event held before the model's official debut at CES 2020. Due out in 2022, the Ocean will compete in the same growing segment of the market as the upcoming Tesla Model Y and the recently-unveiled Ford Mustang Mach-E. The Ocean is the latest brainchild of designer Henrik Fisker, the same man responsible for the Karma (which is now known as the Revero) and the EMotion unveiled at CES 2018. It doesn't look like either of those cars, and it's more SUV-like than its aforementioned rivals. Fisker instructed his team to find ways to make the Ocean stand out in a rising tide of crossovers. Stylists came up with a handful of interesting features, like turn signal repeaters integrated into D-pillars, and solar panels integrated into the roof. Fisker explained motorists who live somewhere with good weather can generate about 1,000 miles of driving range annually by parking in the sun. Naturally, Seattleites need not apply. A thousand miles of range isn't much, but the firm argued it's a start. "We know this thing is improving, and we can then update it because we've already got the hardware," Fisker said during the unveiling.  While safety advocates celebrate the head-up display as a way to keep drivers focused on the road ahead, Fisker found a way to make the feature distracting by adding a karaoke function that presumably shows song lyrics next to the car's speed and navigation directions. We haven't seen the full interior yet, though we know it's made using sustainable materials like discarded fishing nets. There's also a California mode which lowers the six side windows, drops the rear window (like on an old American station wagon), and opens the sunroof at the push of a button to let the breeze in. The Ocean's powertrain consists of a lithium-ion battery pack with a capacity of about 80 kilowatt-hours, and an electric motor mounted over each axle for through-the-road all-wheel drive. Fisker quoted between 250 and 300 miles of driving range depending on driving conditions. Volkswagen-owned Electrify America will open its growing nationwide charging network to Ocean owners. Fisker expects to start Ocean production in late 2021, and deliveries are tentatively scheduled to begin in early 2022. Motorists who want to secure an early build slot still have time to send the company a $250 deposit.

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW tests AdBlue pumps, Drivr is a Tesla taxi service

BMW is testing AdBlue pumps in Germany. AdBlue fluid is used to remove NOx from diesel exhaust, and it is stored in its own tank within the vehicle. Filling AdBlue is easy enough for drivers to do it themselves, and with the proliferation of diesel vehicles in Europe, a pump filling system could make more sense than using the current hand-held containers. BMW is testing AdBlue pumps at three fueling stations in Munich and Berlin to help develop further AdBlue dispenser technology. Read more at Green Car Congress. Drivr Green Personal Transportation is a Tesla taxi service in Cincinnati. Two former employees of Tesla Motors founded the startup, which bills itself alongside ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. Customers book a ride online, and are picked up by a Tesla Model S. The ride costs $2.50 per mile with a $15 minimum. Drivr currently operates three cars with seven drivers, with plans to lease another 10 Teslas and employ up to 30 drivers. The service will also be expanding to Denver soon, according to the website. Learn more at the Drivr website, or read more at Clean Technica. Ford is opening a research and development facility in Silicon Valley. The Ford Research & Innovation Center, which will be located less than three miles from Tesla Motors headquarters in Palo Alto, California, is expected to be one of the automotive industry's largest R&D facilities. "We're driving to be both a product and a mobility company, and ultimately to change the way the world moves," says Ford CEO Mark Fields. Read more at Automotive News. Law firms advising Fisker Automotive have been denied a $2.50-million fee enhancement in the car company's bankruptcy. Brown Rudnick LLP and Saul Ewing LLP were denied the extra fees, as a Delaware bankruptcy judge ruled there is "no evidence" that the firms provided anything more than what they originally expected. In denying the fee enhancement, the judge cited a "very high bar" for such awards. Read more at Law360. Featured Gallery BMW Tests AdBlue Pumps in Germany Related Gallery Tesla Factory News Source: Green Car Congress, BMW, Clean Technica, Drivr, Automotive News Green BMW Fisker Ford Tesla Transportation Alternatives Diesel Vehicles Electric recharge wrapup

Fisker Ocean to be sold in India, Pear could be built there

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Fisker says it will begin selling its Ocean electric sport-utility vehicle (SUV) in India next July and could begin manufacturing its cars locally within a few years, the company's chief executive officer told Reuters. Sales of electric cars in India will increase by 2025-26, Henrik Fisker said in an interview in New Delhi, adding that the company wants to secure a first-mover advantage. "Ultimately, India will go full electric. It may not go as fast as the U.S., China or Europe, but we want to be one of the first ones to come in here," Fisker said. Electric cars currently make up just 1% of India's roughly 3 million annual car sales, with insufficient charging infrastructure and high battery costs partly to blame for the slow shift. The government, which wants to increase this share to 30% by 2030, is offering companies billions of dollars in incentives to build their EVs and associated parts locally. Tesla put its India entry plans on hold after failing to secure a lower import tariff for its cars. Like Fisker, it first wanted to import vehicles to test the market before committing to local manufacturing. While Fisker admitted it is "very expensive" to import vehicles into India, the company wants to use the Ocean to build its brand, with its premium pricing likely to limit numbers, he said. The Ocean retails at around $37,500 in the United States but importing it to India would add logistics costs and a 100% import tax. That would put it out of reach of most buyers in a market where the bulk of cars sold are priced under $15,000. "Ultimately, if you want to have somewhat of a larger volume in India, you almost have to start building a vehicle here or at least do some assembly," Fisker said. The company's next EV, the smaller Pear pictured in a rendering above, is being considered for production in India but not before 2026, he said. "If we can get that vehicle just below $20,000 locally in India, that would be ideal. Then I think we'll get to a certain volume and market share," he said, adding that if they find the right local partner the timeline could be shorter. To set up a plant in India would require volume of at least 30,000 to 40,000 cars a year, Fisker said. He did not directly comment on the size of investment the company considered necessary, but said that to set up a plant with an annual production capacity of 50,000 cars would likely cost $800 million in India.