2023 Fisker Ocean on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Fisker commits to Extreme E electric off-road series

EV manufacturer Fisker has committed to Extreme E, the company confirmed Monday, and is in "advanced talks" to become a series partner and potentially field a factory team. The Extreme E series is the brain child of Formula E mastermind Alejandro Agag. It will feature purpose-built 4x4s EVs racing in remote, spectator-free venues with coverage provided by drones. The series will visit remote regions of Nepal and Saudi Arabia, among other locales, and teams will be transported from one leg to the next via ship. Extreme E is refitting a 7,716-ton former Royal Mail Ship, the RMS St. Helena, to serve as transportation and floating paddock. There will be five races in the 2021 season — if all goes to plan. The series' remote nature will make it less accessible to fans, but the choice of such locales was intended to highlight "[...] the impact of climate change and human interference in some of the worldÂ’s most remote locations and promotes the adoption of electric vehicles to help preserve the environment and protect the planet," the series announcement said.  "Alejandro brought electric vehicle racing into the mainstream with Formula E and I fully support his vision to reinvent off-road racing at the same time as creating an education platform for the threats posed by climate change. Extreme E and Fisker Inc. are completely aligned in our mission and values," said CEO Henrik Fisker. Extreme E will use a spec chassis. Dubbed the Odyssey 21, it will be built by French company Spark and powered by batteries designed by the Williams Formula One team. Spark says the Odyssey 21 can do 0-62 mph in 4.5 seconds and with a range of 200km in non-racing conditions. The top speed is around 200 kph (or approximately 120 mph). While the chassis and battery pack will be provided, manufacturer teams will be tasked with developing their own electric motor and inverter. They will also have leeway in designing certain body panels, allowing them to make the Odyssey 21 look more like their own production models.   

Fisker stock trades halted as talks with Nissan collapse

Fisker's talks with a large automaker for a potential deal have collapsed, it said on Monday amid growing uncertainty for the cash-strapped startup that last week paused electric-vehicle production.  Trading in the shares of the company, which did not name the automaker with which it was in talks, has been halted pending an announcement.  Fisker also said it will not be able to meet a closing condition related to its attempt to raise up to $150 million in funding by selling convertible notes after missing an interest payment.  Separately, Fisker said it would ask investors to vote on a proposal for a reverse stock split at a shareholder meeting on April 24, as it looks to maintain compliance with the Nasdaq's listing norms.  Reuters had reported earlier this month that Nissan was in advanced talks to invest in the company, however, earlier in the day, the Japanese automaker held an event in which it announced a long-term business plan, including its EV strategy, and said it was looking for partners in the United States.  Raising funds has been hard for loss-making electric vehicle startups, which have little in way of revenue as they struggle to ramp up production and deliver to customers, as the companies battle stiff competition and a tough economy.  The EV startup's shares have cratered this year, losing more than 90% of their value, after it flagged going concern risk in February and paused investments in future projects until it secured a partnership with an automaker.  Fisker pivoted to a dealer-partner model earlier this year, after it delivered less than half of the vehicles it made in 2023 due to logistics issues.    Earnings/Financials Fisker Nissan

New Fisker Karma will be pretty familiar

"It's all the same, only the names have changed," Jon Bon Jovi memorably sang, and it sure will apply to the next incarnation of the Fisker Karma. That's what the rumor mill says, anyway. A writer identified as JCMorrill on the Fisker forum Fisker Buzz says he (or she) has gotten some information by spending a "couple hours last week with the managers setting up the new factory." Anyone who liked the old Fisker Karma (perhaps not its creditors) will be pleased. That's because there doesn't seem to be a ton of changes in store for the extended-range plug-in hybrid, which is now known as Karma (China-based parent Wanxiang has ditched the "Fisker" badge, which remains attached to the coachbuilding company run by Henrik Fisker). The 2.0-liter powertrain will be the same, as will that 33-mile all-electric range and 240-mile total range. The company's not going to mess much with the sedan's sleek looks, either, according to the Tuesday post on Fisker Buzz. The brakes will actually be downgraded a tad, and the dash displays will be updated. There will be some driver-assist features added, including some braking and cruise-control features. Given that the new car will sport a price tag estimated to be $135,000, there better be. The Fisker Karma was last produced in 2012 before the company went bankrupt. Wanxiang acquired the company's assets in 2014. Rechristened Karma Automotive last year, the company has built a Southern California factory and could re-introduce the model as soon as some time later this year. Meanwhile, Mr. Fisker himself said earlier this year that he was teaming up with Bob Lutz and Gilbert Villarreal to re-imagine the Karma as a high-performance sedan powered by the 6.2-liter V8 Corvette ZR1 engine. The collaboration, called VLF Automotive, showed off the latest version of their alternative Karma at the Detroit Auto Show and said at the time that the car would retail for a cool $229,000. News Source: Fisker Buzz via Green Car Reports Green Rumormill Fisker Hybrid extended-range plug-in karma karma automotive