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Henrik Fisker interview, and driving the Polestar 2 | Autoblog Podcast #643

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder. They've been driving the updated 2021 Honda Odyssey, the 2020 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 and the new Polestar 2 electric sedan. After reviewing those, they talk about how the Chrysler 300 appears to be withering on the vine. Next, they take time to talk to legendary automotive designer and eponymous Chairman & CEO of Fisker Inc., Mr. Henrik Fisker himself, about jeans, horses and, of course, electric cars. Finally, they help a listener pick a $100,000 supercar in the "Spend My Money" segment. Autoblog Podcast #643 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2021 Honda Odyssey 2020 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 2020 Polestar 2 Chrysler 300 soldiers on for 2021 with pared-down range, higher price Henrik Fisker interview Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

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.

Fisker Pear electric hatchback teased, promises $29,900 price

Here is our first good look at a new model from Fisker called “Pear.” Yes, that is Pear like the fruit, so itÂ’s apt that the teaser image is mostly shades of green. Explicit details on the Fisker Pear are few, but the company gave us a couple things to chew on. For one, Fisker is promising a base price below $29,900, and this is prior to federal or state EV tax credit incentives. ItÂ’s to be built on a “new proprietary architecture,” so donÂ’t expect it to share much with the big Ocean SUV CEO Henrik Fisker said that the little hatchback will feature “new lighting and a wraparound front windscreen inspired by a glider plane glass canopy.” We can get a small sense of what the car will generally look like from the single teaser image released by Fisker. While the company claims this vehicle wonÂ’t fit into any existing segment, it sure looks like a compact hatchback to us. Though, we suppose, it's also possible it literally looks like a pear. The beefy fenders give it a decidedly sporty flair, and the large wheels and mesh front grille only add to the effect. Its scatter-shot lighting running the length of the front end does indeed look different from anything else out there, and the same can be said for its strangely curved A-pillar. This concept (or whatever it is) is also sporting camera sideview mirrors. If U.S. regulations are changed to allow those, then theyÂ’d be a possibility. Otherwise, Fisker will need to swap those out for some traditional mirrors before production. Fisker has high hopes on the production front, too. It plans to produce the Pear at the now Foxconn-owned factory in Lordstown, Ohio. Once production ramps up, Fisker predicts it will be able to produce a minimum of 250,000 Pears per year, an extremely ambitious goal. Whether demand exists for 250,000 small EVs per year from Fisker is a question we may see answered this decade, as Fisker says the Pear will enter production in Lordstown in 2024. As for the future, Fisker (the man) says the PearÂ’s platform will underpin two additional Fisker (the car) models, but says details will come at a later date. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.