2023 Fisker Karma One - Launch Limited Edition on 2040-cars

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Henrik Fisker interview, and driving the Polestar 2 | Autoblog Podcast #643

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder. They've been driving the updated 2021 Honda Odyssey, the 2020 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 and the new Polestar 2 electric sedan. After reviewing those, they talk about how the Chrysler 300 appears to be withering on the vine. Next, they take time to talk to legendary automotive designer and eponymous Chairman & CEO of Fisker Inc., Mr. Henrik Fisker himself, about jeans, horses and, of course, electric cars. Finally, they help a listener pick a $100,000 supercar in the "Spend My Money" segment. Autoblog Podcast #643 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2021 Honda Odyssey 2020 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 2020 Polestar 2 Chrysler 300 soldiers on for 2021 with pared-down range, higher price Henrik Fisker interview Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Henrik Fisker moves on from designing hybrids to superyachts

Henrik Fisker has announced a number of projects since parting ways with his namesake hybrid automobile brand. Most of them revolve, as you might expect, around four wheels. He even did one with two wheels last year, but now he's branching out into superyachts. The partnership announced between Fisker and Italian shipyard Benetti will see the Danish designer pen a new line of yachts measuring 164 feet long. That's roughly the distance covered by ten Karmas parked end to end. Benetti is designing the essential architecture of the vessels, while Fisker will be responsible for its styling inside and out. His vision is previewed by the simple sketch above, sent to Autoblog by a Benetti representative, who tells us that the complete design will be presented this coming February at the Miami International Boat Show. Details are still to come, but Benetti says the superyachts will include "carbon fiber and other exotic materials, as well as optimized ocean views from all major cabins and use reclaimed wood, integrated solar panels and optional hybrid power." The design will be split across three decks incorporating a "beach club" at the rear, on-board spa, a pool, six guest cabins, accommodation for 11 crew members, and technological advancements including automated controls. The Benetti collaboration is just the latest in many upon which Fisker has embarked lately. His recent work includes the Galpin Rocket, the aborted Aston Martin Thunderbolt, and two new vehicles to be unveiled in Detroit next month. These in addition to noteworthy creations highlighting his portfolio including the BMW Z8, Aston Martin DB9, and, of course, his eponymous luxury hybrid sedan. While naval architecture may be new territory for Fisker, this isn't the first time we've seen an automotive designer dip his toes in the water to design a yacht. McLaren design chief Frank Stephenson, for example, recently revealed his own wooden runabout with electric power, and Ian Callum penned a concept speedboat for Jaguar. The design divisions at BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche have dabbled in naval architecture as well, and both Bugatti and Aston Martin recently licensed their names to high-end motorboats too. However Fisker's design will be much bigger than most when it hits the open water.

Henrik Fisker: No 'final conclusion' yet in Foxconn deal

Two years ago, EV startup Fisker seemed to have hooked a giant when it announced a deal with Taiwanese iPhone maker Foxconn to build a sub-$30,000 crossover in the United States. It turns out that deal hasn't been finalized, according to comments Fisker founder and CEO Henrik Fisker made during an interview with TechCrunch. "In the Foxconn deal specifically, we don't yet have a final conclusion to this deal," Fisker told TechCrunch on the sidelines of an event in Huntington Beach, California, to showcase its future EV portfolio. While Henrik Fisker is still confident it will come together, his comments show just how precarious and complex automotive manufacturing deals can be. And considering Foxconn's history of backing out of other factory agreements, there's reason for some caution. The Foxconn-Fisker deal Foxconn and Fisker signed in February 2021 a memorandum of understanding agreement, with the goal of producing 250,000 vehicles annually. While it wasn't clear which vehicle Fisker might build with Foxconn, the automaker had said that it was working on the Personal Automotive Electric Revolution (PEAR) — an EV built for cities and urban environments that would cost less than $30,000. The Fisker-Foxconn deal came together relatively quickly following the announcement of the memorandum, and by May 2021, Foxconn and Fisker had a signed agreement, setting those expectations in writing. A few months later, Foxconn made a separate deal with EV maker Lordstown Motors that included buying its factory in Ohio and helping the struggling company manufacture its Endurance electric pickup truck. Fisker became a beneficiary of the deal when, in May 2022, the company announced it reached an agreement with Foxconn to build its PEAR EV at the Lordstown factory. But cracks soon formed in Foxconn's agreement with Lordstown Motors. Lordstown Motors filed for bankruptcy and has sued Foxconn for "fraudulent conduct," stating that the Taiwanese company had made a litany of "broken promises." Foxconn currently still owns the manufacturing plant in Lordstown, Ohio, and Fisker says that plans to build the PEAR in the Lordstown plant are still on track. Foxconn is no stranger to scuttling done deals. The company withdrew from a $19.5 billion agreement with Indian company Vedanta last month. It also famously received a $3 billion incentives package to build a factory in Wisconsin that was supposed to create 13,000 jobs.