2023 Fisker Ocean on 2040-cars

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New Fisker owner ready to go broke building EVs, challenging Tesla

Now this is the kind of fighting spirit we like to see. Lu Guanqiu is a Chinese billionaire who has visited the White House alongside Chinese president Hu Jintao in 2011. He's worth an estimated $3.1 billion. And he wants to take on Tesla Motors and other EV makers with his newly purchased company, Fisker Automotive. Lu is the chairman and founder of China's Wanxiang Group Corp., which bought Fisker for just under $150 million earlier this year. It also purchased battery supplier A123 Systems last year. Speaking to Bloomberg recently, Lu said that EV technology is at the top of his list of ways to go broke. "I'll put every cent that Wanxiang earns into making electric vehicles. I'll burn as much cash as it takes to succeed, or until Wanxiang goes bust," he said. Ahhh, inspiring. "I'll burn as much cash as it takes to succeed, or until Wanxiang goes bust" – Lu Guanqiu Exactly how and when new Fisker vehicles come to market - or if they'll even be Fiskers when they do – has been the subject of some debate. As part of the Fisker bankruptcy auction, Lu and Wanxiang now own an old, empty General Motors plant in Wilmington, DE. Lu told Bloomberg that Wanxiang has plans to first start building EVs, including the Karma plug-in hybrid, in the US (which suggests that restarting Karma production at Valmet is not going to happen) and to later build them in China. Right now, Lu's company only makes one type of electric vehicle: buses. Lu told Bloomberg he knows it will take a while to get his electric cars to market: "The road is still very long. We want to concentrate for now on manufacturing in the US. If I don't succeed, my son will continue with it. If he doesn't make it, my grandson will." Currently, emails sent to the "New Fisker" website are met with an automated response that promises a more personal touch later. It also says that the company is "very well funded and have a great plan to create a world class automotive company." That the new owner is ready to go broke doing so is not mentioned. You can read the New Fisker email and see a Bloomberg video on Lu below. Dear Fisker enthusiast, We at 'The New Fisker' would like to sincerely thank you for the email you sent via the website and greatly appreciate the time you have taken to reach out to the new company. The details of your correspondence are being reviewed by members of our devoted team, who are truly passionate about responding to you individually and personally.

Fisker Pear electric hatchback revealed in more detail

Just a few weeks ago, Fisker showed off the future of its electric lineup at its "Product Vision Day." Among the highlights was the new compact Fisker Pear, which is intended to arrive with a sub-$30,000 price point and be an affordable alternative to the likes of the Chevy Bolt (currently on hiatus) and Nissan Leaf. While the Pear isn't quite ready for prime time, Fisker has shared a host of photos to accompany a few new details about this budget-friendly EV.  We now know the Pear will measure approximately 15 feet long (4550mm) and will be offered in both five- and six-seater configurations, further enhancing what already promises to be a flexible and utilitarian platform. The cargo section is referred to as the Pear's "Houdini trunk," which allows access to the hatch area in tight nose-to-tail parking situations or low ceiling heights thanks to a rear glass section that opens downward into the rear load floor, rather than swinging up and out like a normal hatch. Fisker also hopes to launch the Pear with exterior camera mirrors, but those are still under review due to regulatory requirements. And then there's the "froot." Think frunk, only British — or vegetarian. It's a sealed front storage compartment intended to store things that should be isolated from the cabin, like sweaty workout gear or pungent leftovers. Fisker says it will even offer an insulated option for storing temperature-sensitive items. Gig drivers, take note. The cabin itself is "designed to be extremely durable, with no fragile moving parts." Fisker calls it a boon for families and ride-share drivers, but there's also an upside for the manufacturer that consequently doesn't have to bother with expensive physical controls.  Fisker says the Pear will also have a "Lounge Mode" that allows all of the seats to fold completely flat to create a relaxation or sleeping area along with a rotating, 17-inch screen to provide entertainment while you're stretched out. The six-seater option replaces the single front passenger seat and center console with a large two-seat bench.  Fisker also appears close to finalizing the Pear's electric range. Previously, the company said it was hoping to deliver up to 310 miles on the EPA test cycle. Fisker has revised that up to 320 miles on the high end. In addition, it's offering a target for the smaller, city-oriented battery pack that is expected to come standard at the Pear's $29,990 starting price.

Bob Lutz predicts Fisker-based VL Destino will world's fastest sedan [w/video]

Ever look at an EV or a dedicated hybrid and wonder what it'd be like with a conventional, high-output V8 under the hood instead of all those batteries and circuit boards? Bob Lutz and Gilbert Villareal did when it came to the Fisker Karma. The result is the Destino from VL Automotive – a vehicle that Lutz says could be the fastest sedan in the world. The Destino was born like a phoenix rising from the ashes of Fisker Automotive and its shapely Karma – an aborted and very costly attempt at making a dedicated hybrid luxury sedan, undertaken by noted automotive designer Henrik Fisker. The project ultimately faltered, but Lutz and Villareal formed VL Automotive to pick up the pieces and put it back together. Only when they did, they got rid of the hybrid propulsion system and replaced it with the 6.2-liter supercharged LS9 V8 from the previous Corvette ZR1, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. With 630 horsepower, a svelte shape and 1,000 pounds trimmed off the curb weight, the VL Destino is expected to top out at or around 200 miles per hour. According to Lutz in his article for Fortune magazine, that would make it "among the fastest four-door cars in the world," but in the accompanying video below, he goes even further to say that the the Destino "most likely will be the world's fastest four-door sedan." To claim the top honor, though, it'll have to vanquish the 204-mile-per-hour Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat – another four-door sedan with a supercharged V8 made by an American automaker... one over which Lutz used to preside, no less. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.