2023 Fisker Ocean on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Fisker's forthcoming luxury crossover to get a name this week

Automotive designer and entrepreneur Henrik Fisker has been busy teasing his upcoming luxury electric SUV on social media, promising more information including a name this week and releasing a slew of new images, a short video clip and a few juicy new details. The big news is the promised reveal of a production-intent prototype version in January, not December as was once promised, and that it will be made available exclusively via a “no hassle” subscription that Fisker says will be flexible with no long-term contract and a full warranty. When asked by a Twitter user whether the subscription plan would be similar to the Volvo XC40 under the Care by Volvo subscription program, Fisker said the cost would be “way, way, way lower,” with a higher annual mileage allotment and no minimum term. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. For comparisonÂ’s sake, Volvo makes the XC40 crossover available starting at $700 per month under its Care by Volvo subscription service, with a 15,000-mile annual cap. Fisker promised more details about the subscription plan on Nov. 27, when he will also launch a mobile app and open up reservations. Along with the official unveiling in January will come word of a partnership for an EV charging network, Fisker said in response to another Twitter user. He also revealed plans to launch production in late 2021 with high-volume ramp up in 2022. We also are treated to a brief video clip of the SUV in front three-quarters view, highlighting the slim LED headlights and another strip below them on the bumper, plastic cladding around the wheel wells and seven-spoke wheels. It also appears that the door handles are illuminated. When we last checked in on Fisker Automotive it was to show you an overhead view of the crossoverÂ’s solar panel rooftop, an idea borrowed from the 2011 Fisker Karma. Fisker at the time also teased a new battery-electric pickup truck, one of two new additional models to come after the SUV. We also know to expect a range of around 300 miles from the at least 80 kWh lithium-ion battery and a turn signal that wraps around from back into the D pillar for added notification when you change lanes. Total price has been pegged at just under $40,000.

A small door ding became a nightmare for a Fisker Ocean owner

Fisker has been floating in the danger zone, teetering on the brink of complete collapse, for months now. That state of limbo looks dramatic from a business standpoint, but the impact on Fisker owners is coming into clearer focus. A recent story from an early Fisker Ocean buyer highlighted the challenges faced by people who bought into the upstart brand, as a simple door ding turned into a nightmare. Someone hit Joy Wanner’s Ocean, causing minor damage to its door. While that would be an annoying but straightforward fix for most cars, FiskerÂ’s state of near-collapse made the process a real headache. A few weeks after the incident, WannerÂ’s insurance company totaled the Ocean, though the damage only amounted to a small surface crease and a broken door hinge, with a total cost of just $910. The insurance adjuster admitted that the total could be much higher, though, as he was completely unfamiliar with the brand and its vehicles. Though she was initially excited to invest in Fisker and its admittedly good-looking EV, the experience soured Wanner on new car companies for good. She told CarScoops, “It was an emotional rollercoaster. One day it would run fine, and the next, a new warning light would blink or ding. It was so frustrating to pay that much money for a car, only to get annoyed every time you used it.” Adding salt to WannerÂ’s wounds, she also experienced many of the issues other Fisker owners reported. She hadnÂ’t received a title from the automaker and said it was impossible to get any answers or help. The insurance company ultimately paid out $53,303 for the Ocean, but that paled in comparison to the price Wanner paid for the hassle of owning the SUV. “We lost over $20,000 investing in this startup EV and I cannot say goodbye fast enough,” she said on Facebook. “The delivery delays, mismanagement of paperwork, reporting issues, and getting case numbers that disappear into thin air, the mysterious warning lights and maddening warning sounds, being trapped inside the vehicle, an unreliable outdated navigation system, one cheaply made barely operational key fobÂ… This vehicle fell very, very short of our expectations and well below my high standards. I hope Henrik Fisker loses every dime he has, and I wish the rest of you the best of luck.”    

Judge rules Fisker assets will be auctioned in February

The Fisker Automotive saga will continue until at least next month, now that a bankruptcy court judge has ruled that the automaker's assets will go up for auction in February instead of being acquired flat out by a Hong Kong investor. Wanxiang Group, which owns A123 Systems, is competing with Hybrid Tech Holdings LLC for Fisker. The judge says Hybrid Tech, which holds debt on Fisker, can't use any more than $25 million of that debt as part of its bid for the California-based automaker, according to Bloomberg News. Hybrid Tech is run by Richard Li, son of Li Ka-Shing, Hong Kong's wealthiest man, and the company bought Fisker's loan from the US Department of Energy. Fisker's line of credit from the DOE was originally for $529 million, but 'only' $192 million was drawn down before the government shut that spigot off. Wanxiang Group bid $25.8 million (plus assumed debt) for Fisker in late December, then increased its offer to $35.7 million earlier this month. Wanxiang Group acquired most of the assets of lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems in 2012, and Fisker has maintained that Wanxiang hastened Fisker's demise by holding off battery deliveries. Fisker shut down production of its extended-range plug-in Karma in 2012 and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year.