2023 Fisker Ocean on 2040-cars

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The Fisker Ocean's solar roof opens up in 'California Mode'

Henrik Fisker has pegged CES for the official unveiling of his upcoming Ocean SUV. The production prototype will make its public debut on January 7, 2020, with an intended launch in 2020. Leading up to the event, Fisker has been slowly dropping bits of information, and we've already seen nearly the entire vehicle. The most recent announcement showed off a new patented feature called California Mode, which at the press of a button can lower all the Ocean's windows and slide open its solar roof panels as well. In total, pressing the California Mode button moves nine different panels. The three windows on each side of the SUV go down, the rear hatch's glass drops into the body, and the two panels that make up the solar roof shift to open, as well. Fisker didn't release a video of the action, but it appears the front-most part of the solar panel overlaps the rear portion and both slide back. The photos take the opportunity to show that with the rear glass down, a surfboard could fit inside the car with only a small bit sticking out. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Fisker bills the Ocean as a pinnacle of sustainable automotive engineering. It runs purely on electricity and will have an estimated range of 250 to 300 miles. Parts of the SUV will use recycled materials and plastics, as well, to create a vegan interior. Fisker says the solar tech could potentially add up to 1,000 miles of range per year, although that really isn't much. The California-based company is also aiming to make the vehicle affordable and accessible. Fisker says the car will be available on a subscription basis with a starting price of $379 per month and no long-term contract. Reservations are open now for $250. We'll have more information and photos after the debut next month. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Fisker adds dealerships to direct sales model to boost EV sales

Electric vehicle company Fisker said on Thursday that it would add dealerships alongside its direct-to-customer distribution model to expand its sales and delivery network. The California-based company, which sells its vehicles across the United States and Canada apart from other markets in Europe, has only two showrooms or Fisker Lounges in North America — one in Los Angeles and the other in New York. In other locations, it has retail stores called Fisker Center+. Fisker said, in Europe, it will continue to offer direct sales but will bring onboard partners for sales and distribution. While the EV startup made more than 10,000 vehicles in 2023, it delivered only about 4,700 units of the Ocean sport utility vehicles due to distribution constraints. "We are evolving our business model and intend to add as many as 50 dealer partners in the US and Canada and a similar number of dealer locations in Europe this year," CEO Henrik Fisker said. The company expects to send its first Ocean vehicles to new dealers by the end of the first quarter, Fisker said, adding that it has been in talks with dealer partners since November 2023. Lucid, Rivian and Fisker have followed an online and direct-to-consumer model that was started by Elon Musk-led Tesla, in their efforts to cut out middlemen that dealership models have. Earlier this week, Vietnamese electric car maker VinFast Auto said that it had signed its first five dealerships in Texas, New York, Kansas and North Carolina. Swedish EV maker Polestar also uses a dealership model. 

Fisker electric pickup truck previewed in rendering

Fisker CEO and car designer Henrik Fisker has posted an illustration of an electric pickup, promising class-leading efficiency and radical design. The rendered truck features muscular flared fenders, a rooftop spoiler that doubles as a center high-mount stop light (CHMSL), and neat taillights that extend onto the bedsides. It's billed as a lifestyle vehicle rather than a workhorse, and does not wear any obvious name on the tailgate. The image was posted to Fisker's personal LinkedIn profile, as discovered by CarBuzz, along with the following caption: "Ok, yes, next vehicle might be a lifestyle pick up truck! But not just any truck! We want to create the lightest, most efficient EV pick up in the world! Making it, the most sustainable! image is just a teaser! Not the final: final will be way more radical!" While Fisker's excitement is conspicuous, and the truck does look cool, we can't help but question whether a production version is actually coming. About a year ago, Fisker tweeted an image of a pickup truck named the Alaska and then quickly deleted it. It had been captioned, "After our Fisker electric SUV, we have already decided on our next 2 EV’s on the same platform!" referring to what turned out to be the Ocean crossover. Perhaps it wasn't meant to be revealed just yet, or perhaps the timing was poor, considering that it came just days after a huge round of layoffs. In fact, Fisker has been bleeding talent, with one whistleblower claiming that the company is putting on a smoke-and-mirrors show to grab more cash from its Chinese investors. Whether or not the truck is vaporware, the projected timeline puts production sometime around 2025. It will be entering a very crowded marketplace, with 10 possible competitors coming to the EV pickup market, some coming from far more established players. As we said when Fisker showed the Ocean last July, it's proven it can talk the talk. Now it has to walk the walk. Related Video: