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Fisker Ronin actually a four-seat convertible

When Fisker Automotive released an image of its planned Ronin battery-electric vehicle, the closed roof, Karma vibes and non-specific press release led everyone to believe it was a four-door sedan targeting an array of impressive specs. Turns out the Ronin is a four-seat convertible, making at least one of those specs even more impressive if Fisker hits it. Instead of the "over 550 miles of range" in the initial release, Henrik Fisker clarified that the Ronin's shooting for 660 miles of range on the WLTP cycle. That would beat anything on sale today even after converting to EPA figures, but the Ronin isn't due for its first deliveries until 2024. We also expect that mileage figure is a top-up number only; in view of all the turbulent air created behind a convertible's windshield, top-down mileage may vary considerably.  Fisker's quote that he wants the Ronin to have "the world's longest range for a production EV, combined with extremely high levels of performance" and be "a showcase for our internal engineering, powertrain and software capabilities" still holds true. Last year, the company opened a development facility in the UK called Magic Works, run by David King, formerly in charge of special vehicles at Aston Martin. King's team is working on making a cabriolet boulevardier that also evokes "a proper British sports car." Special features will include "unique doors for better ingress and egress," necessary because of the lack of a B-pillar. That quote from the automaker boss leads us to suspect the Ronin is the evolution of the Fisker EMotion (pictured above; yes, that's how it's spelled) luxury sedan the company took to CES in 2018. Chop the top off the EMotion, anchor the rear doors in the rear fenders instead of the C-pillar, and voila, a Ronin. That's all just a guess, though. What's not a guess is that Magic Works is working on special features like a battery integrated into the vehicle structure, powering a three-motor drivetrain able to get the Ronin to 60 miles per hour in under three seconds. That sprint would take the same time Wiesmann predicts its two-door, two-seat Thunderball to hit the same mark.

Henrik Fisker opens up about EVs

Danish car designer Henrik Fisker is an interesting figure in the automotive world. After heading up design at Aston Martin he created the initial design for the Tesla Model S before launching Fisker Automotive. There, he created the Karma range-extended electric sports car. As we all know, the company eventually went bankrupt, leaving Mr. Fisker's future in question. Now he's back on the scene with his $230,000 supercar, the VLF Force 1, which debuted at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Interestingly the V10-powered Force 1, along with VLF's V8-powered Destino, is a huge departure from the green machines for which Fisker was responsible not too long ago. If that makes you curious as to what's going on inside the talented head of Henrik Fisker, you're not alone. Thankfully, Fisker has opened up to Tech Insider, discussing his thoughts on EVs and the future of the automotive world. While Fisker was part of the EV revolution – in his words, showing that "electric cars can be beautiful and exciting and fun to drive" – mass adoption has been slower than he originally predicted. The field is still too limited, with not much available in terms of what people want to buy. The driving range, too, is a huge obstacle to EV uptake, but that is slowly improving. "The choice for consumers is still fairly limited, but in my mind there's no doubt electric cars are here to stay," says Fisker. "It is going to be a growing segment and it will continue to grow." Fisker, however, is bearish on hybrids, despite their popularity. In his opinion, "electric cars will take over a lot of hybrids quicker than people think now." In an interesting prediction that defies more commonly held beliefs, hybrids don't have a place as a transition to EVs anymore. As infrastructure grows – along with battery capacity – people will "jump straight from gas to electric rather than make the transition to hybrid which is what a lot of car companies are betting on." It's an interesting point of view, to be sure, especially coming from a man who just recently took a pretty big leap from electric cars back to supercars whose fury is fed by fossil fuels. Take a deeper look into the mind of Henrik Fisker in the piece from Tech Insider. Related Video:

Fisker Magic Works to develop two new luxury EVs in the U.K.

Fisker Automotive is laying the groundwork for its third and fourth acts, to be led by a new division in the U.K. The first act is the Ocean crossover, due in production form at next month's L.A. Auto Show and due to enter production in November 2022. The Fisker Pear, whose model name stands for Personal Electric Automotive Revolution, is expected to arrive at the end of 2023. Following a year after that will be two new projects coming from the company's new Fisker Magic Works, set up earlier this month in the U.K. Former Aston Martin engineer David King, whose resume includes everything from the DB7 V12 to the Q by Aston Martin customization department, was hired as the SVP of engineering to lead development at the Magic Works.   Henrik Fisker said the overseas division "provides us with an opportunity to create sustainable and fantastic vehicles outside the confines of established industry segments," adding that he has already tasked King with shepherding "two exciting projects which will showcase our capability in highly specialized materials and technologies designed especially for the eco-conscious automotive enthusiast." He believes one of the coming electric vehicles will be a fringe member of its segment, but "the other one doesn't exist at all" yet. The new specialty models are planned to enter the market at the luxury end, one costing more than $100,000, one costing less. That's the other side of the buying pool from the Ocean, which will start at about $37,500, and the Pear, said to start at under $30,000. The products King is developing in England will be "serious production vehicles," but built at lower volumes than the Ocean and Pear. Before then, Fisker will be working to get the Ocean running down production lines at Magna's plant in Graz, Austria, and could be working with Foxconn to get Pear assembly going at the Chinese company's new facility in Lordstown, Ohio. Once we can get behind the wheel of the Ocean and drive it, then we'll know how much we can believe of what Fisker says will follow. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.