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Fisker Pear interior teased, shows airy, minimal cabin

Henrik Fisker is back on Instagram, this time with his Pear. The CEO teased the interior of the coming compact electric vehicle that will double Fisker Automotive's lineup after the Ocean goes on sale later this year. The Pear, an acronym for Personal Electric Automotive Revolution, wants to melt the hearts and open the wallets of city dwellers looking for minimalist urban transport with elevated design at minimal cost. Based on the interior rendering, such buyers will get a good look at their cities out of the Pear thanks to tall, wraparound windows. The curved A-pillar intrigues us. Aerodynamic necessity has made EV windshields terrifically narrow because they're raked so steeply, and the tops of instrument panels shockingly lengthy. An upright-looking windshield on a curt IP would be a novelty in an EV. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Elsewhere, there's the SolarSky panoramic roof that's expected to contribute to range. The Pear could drop the Ocean's second gauge cluster screen, putting everything on the central infotainment monitor held aloft from the dash. There seems to be heaps of ambient lighting, notably on the declining forward edge of the center tunnel. It's all simple and bold. What we can't see is the "Houdini trunk" behind the back bench, claimed to be a new concept in storage that will "offer a new level of storage for its segment." We could begin to find out how this looks in real life later this year. Fisker said prototypes might hit the road ahead of schedule, before 2022 is out. The retail version isn't slated for production until 2024 at this point, in the Lordstown, Ohio plant that Foxconn owns. When that happens, we've been promised two battery sizes powering single- and dual-motor powertrains. The larger battery is called the Hyper Range unit, aiming at more than 300 miles on a charge. Fisker's caption said, "We are currently working full speed on re-defining how to make an inexpensive car. Reducing parts, make them simpler." If all goes to plan, the entry-level version will cost $29,000 before incentives. That's a shockingly low price right now, never mind in two years. The company says it as 3,200 reservations so far for the Pear, and more than 50,000 for the Ocean. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Fisker Ocean shows its Revolve infotainment screen

Fisker Automotive is finally spotlighting a feature that got talked about at the global debut of the Ocean SUV at last year's L.A. Auto Show, but we didn't see in action. It's called Revolve, and does just that to the Ocean's 17.1-inch infotainment screen. Vertical orientation is called Control Mode, when occupants are using the screen for all of the typical infotainment purposes. At what we imagine is the press of a button, the screen rotates 90 degrees clockwise to enter what's referred to as Hollywood Mode, wherein its 16:9 aspect ratio would make it ideal for watching movies and playing games. Screen sounds get piped through a 16-speaker audio system. The cinematic rotation can only be had while parked, we're told. Buyers who want the presto-change-o viewing options might need to step to the top of the Fisker Ocean range; we know Revolve will come standard on the top Extreme trim. It will also be included with the Ocean One, but that model is limited to the first 5,000 units built. The series production Extreme starts at $68,999 before destination, comes with a dual-motor AWD powertrain putting out 550 horsepower, and is expected to get more than 350 miles on a charge. It's unclear at the moment whether the entry-level Ocean Sport and midgrade Ocean Ultra will offer Revolve as an option. When in Control Mode, the screens will be running a custom infotainment software Fisker is developing with Japan's Sharp Corporation, running on screens developed just for Fisker's line of vehicles. The company said, "Our collaboration with Sharp is set to create exciting new automotive display systems, featuring innovative backlight solutions to improve illumination without increasing power consumption – in addition to class-leading resolution, bezels, and design." The Ocean is slated to enter production at a Magna Steyr facility in Austria in November. If history is a guide, initial deliveries will prioritize more expensive reservations.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Henrik Fisker interview, and driving the Polestar 2 | Autoblog Podcast #643

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.

Fisker Pear will be built at Foxconn's Lordstown Motors plant

Shares of Lordstown Motors surged over 23% in trading before the bell on Thursday after the electric vehicle startup said it had closed the deal to sell its Ohio facility with Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn. The Taiwanese firm confirmed it will also make Fisker's Pear compact car model from 2024 alongside the Endurance at the Ohio facility. The deal closure buys Lordstown Motors some much needed breathing room and gives production of its electric pickup a chance at success, said Danni Hewson, analyst at AJ Bell. "Building electric vehicles is an expensive business at the best of times. Right now the supply crunch is making life incredibly difficult and Lordstown Motors and its shareholders will be feeling a rather heady sense of relief today," added Hewson. Setting up manufacturing lines for electric vehicles is a capital intensive process and startups in the past have struggled to raise sufficient capital to mass produce vehicles. Foxconn will now manufacture Lordstown Motors' Endurance electric pickup truck which will go into production in the third quarter of the year and be in the hands of customers in the fourth quarter. Lordstown Motors will retain some assets including its hub motor, battery assembly lines and intellectual property. The company said the deal closure results in $260 million of proceeds, including the reimbursement of certain operating and expansion costs. The stock fell over 95% from its high of over $30 per share in September 2020, weeks after going public through a merger with a blank check company. It is currently trading under $2. Reporting by Akash Sriram and Bansari Mayur Kamdar in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

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 Project Ronin EV sedan previewed ahead of 2024 launch

Fisker's lineup of to-be-launched cars has grown again. Shortly after it announced an urban EV codenamed PEAR, the company released a sketch that shows an electric sedan called Project Ronin which will be positioned at the top of its range when it (hopefully) enters production in 2024. "The aim is to achieve the world's longest range for a production EV, combined with extremely high levels of performance. Project Ronin will be a showcase for our internal engineering, powertrain, and software capabilities," explained company boss Henrik Fisker in a statement. He stopped short of providing specific figures, but the company explained that Project Ronin — which borrows its name from a 1998 movie famous for its car chases — will be capable of carrying four adults and their luggage. Under development since 2021, the model seemingly takes the form of a low-slung car with four doors, though we're told it will feature "unique doors." The sedan will be built with lightweight materials, it will use active aerodynamic technologies, and it will be powered by a battery that will be integrated into the vehicle structure. Fisker expects to unveil Project Ronin in August 2023, and production is tentatively scheduled to begin in the second half of 2024. If everything goes according to plan, the sedan will become the third member of the Fisker range when it starts rolling off the production line. Fisker's first car should be the Ocean, an electric crossover that should enter production in Austria before the end of 2022. It will be followed by the aforementioned PEAR, which will be built in Ohio with help from Taiwan-based software giant Foxconn starting in 2024. Green Fisker Coupe Electric Future Vehicles

Longtime Tesla rival Henrik Fisker exits Twitter after Musk reaches deal to buy platform

Electric vehicle pioneer and Tesla competitor Henrik Fisker exited Twitter this week after his old rival Elon Musk reached an agreement to buy the social media platform for $44 billion. Fisker, who oversees electric vehicle maker Fisker Inc., wrote on Instagram Tuesday: “I believe 100% in free speech. But I do not want my free speech to be actively managed or controlled by a competitor. And I do not want a competitor to determine how my followers experience Fisker as we grow our company.” FiskerÂ’s Twitter handle no longer exists, though his companyÂ’s Twitter feed remained active as of Tuesday with a post of Henrik Fisker test driving a vehicle. Musk did not appear to directly react to FiskerÂ’s move on Tuesday, tweeting two general messages about free speech. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Fisker and Musk have long been adversaries. Tesla sued Fisker in 2008 alleging his design company stole Tesla technology and used it to develop his own vehicle. An arbitrator ruled in favor of Fisker. Henrik Fisker did design work on the Tesla Model S sedan before the car launched, when the project was known by the codename WhiteStar. In the early 2010s, FiskerÂ’s first carmaker, Fisker Automotive, was a rival to Tesla and, for a while, they were on nearly equal footing as Fisker promised to bring his attractive sedan called the Karma to market followed up by a string of sleek cars and crossovers. The company, however, had issues with its battery packs and was hit with a string of bad luck, including losing a shipment of vehicles due to fires and floods related to Hurricane Sandy in 2012. It went bankrupt in 2013. The EV landscape has changed dramatically since then, with most major automakers investing heavily in the technology and newcomers like Lucid and Rivian joining the fray. Tesla, meanwhile, took off and catapulted Musk to even greater international fame, along with his PayPal and SpaceX ventures. Henrik Fisker regrouped and founded Fisker Inc. in 2016. It went public in 2020 and is planning to launch the Ocean SUV this year. Before founding EV startups, Fisker was known as a noted sports-car designer who counts the 2005 Aston Martin V8 Vantage and 1999 BMW Z8 among his highlights. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Green Fisker Tesla Electric Elon Musk Twitter Henrik Fisker

Fisker starts taking reservations for urban EV developed with Foxconn

Fisker has started taking reservations for its second model, an enigmatic electric car known only as Project PEAR for the time being. Developed jointly with Taiwan-based software giant Foxconn, the five-seater will be manufactured in Ohio starting in 2024. PEAR stands for Personal Electric Automotive Revolution, according to the company, and it's presented as a compact model designed for urban environments. Fisker released a sketch to preview the car, though it stressed that it wants to keep full styling-related details under wraps until closer to the official unveiling. Pricing will start at $29,900 before taxes and various government incentives enter the equation. We're told that the PEAR will stand out with "intuitive controls, sporty driving, clever storage, and a focus on industry firsts," but the carmaker stopped short of providing concrete details. Foxconn's involvement should facilitate the task of bringing the PEAR to production; it notably builds the iPhone for Apple in China. The car will be built on a new platform called FP28 internally and designed by both companies. Customers can add their name to the waiting list by sending Fisker a $250 deposit, and the cost of a second reservation drops to $100. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2024, and more details about the Pear should be announced in the coming months. Fisker and Foxconn jointly plan to build about 250,000 units of the model annually, but keep in mind that Fisker has a habit of not sticking to the timeline it sets. Production of the Ocean crossover was scheduled to start in late 2021 (it should enter production in Graz, Austria, a year late with help from contract manufacturer Magna), and the Emotion sedan unveiled at CES in 2018 and due out in 2019 is still nowhere to be seen. Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Green Fisker Electric Future Vehicles

2021 L.A. Auto Show roundup | All the reveals, reviews, pictures

The L.A. Auto Show took place this week for the first time since the onset of the pandemic. It was a show packed with news and reveals, which hasn't really been the case with other shows we've seen this year, and Autoblog was on the floor covering every minute of it. Well, Riswick and Stocksdale were, anyway. The rest of us were sitting at home in our sweatpants, but hey, we'll take credit anyway. Let's get to it. Hyundai Seven Concept This is the Hyundai Seven Concept, and it’s meant to act as a preview for an incoming electric SUV for the Ioniq brand. It leans more toward the concept side of the spectrum than a production car, but expect the final SUV to take design cues from the Seven Concept. Kia Concept EV9 The Hyundai Seven counterpart isn't the only big, bold electric SUV at L.A. this year. Kia has its own take, and it's a modernized version of the traditional boxy utility vehicle called the Concept EV9. It also previews one of the next production electric cars for the brand, which should look right at home next to things like the Telluride. 2023 Kia Sportage HEV As promised, the 2023 Kia Sportage HEV has been revealed. The hybrid powertrain makes the compact SUV the most powerful version available, and it goes on sale next year. The engine is a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder paired with a 44-kW electric motor. Total output is 226 horsepower. The company didn't give a torque number, but it should basically be the same as the Sorento HEV that has the same basic powertrain: 258 pound-feet. Those numbers are a healthy step up from the 187 horsepower of the base 2.5-liter engine. 2022 Range Rover If you noticed how extra smooth and suave the new Range Rover looked during its recent reveal, Autoblog's James Riswick got a design tour that revealed some of the technological secrets to its success. "Less is more" is harder to achieve than it looks. Fisker Ocean Fisker has brought the new Ocean EV to the L.A. Auto Show, with a public preview at Manhattan Beach and a presence at the show itself. You can watch the public show reveal above, and see more shots from the show floor below. Fisker says the Ocean will start at $37,499 before incentives. That entry model would be the Sport trim with a single, 275-horsepower motor driving the front wheels and 250 miles of estimated range. It also has a 0-60 time of 6.9 seconds. 2023 Toyota bZ4X This is the 2023 Toyota bZ4X, due to hit U.S.

Fisker Ocean takes to L.A. Auto Show

Fisker has brought the new Ocean EV to the L.A. Auto Show, with a public preview at Manhattan Beach and a presence at the show itself. You can watch the public show reveal above, and see more shots from the show floor below. Fisker says the Ocean will start at $37,499 before incentives. That entry model would be the Sport trim with a single, 275-horsepower motor driving the front wheels and 250 miles of estimated range. It also has a 0-60 time of 6.9 seconds. Moving up to the Ultra version at $49,999 gets dual-motor all-wheel drive, 540 hp, 340 miles of range and a 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds. The $68,999 Extreme trim gets AWD, 550 hp, 350+ miles of driving range and a 3.6-second 0-60 sprint. Fisker Ocean View 5 Photos Fisker also touted the previously announced lease program where customers can choose the length of the lease with a monthly price as low as $379 a month. The lease fleet would be in service for twelve years before being completely recycled by Fisker. The electric ute will feature eco-friendly materials (recycled fishing nets and T-shirts, for instance), a solar roof that can open in a "California Mode," a multi-link rear suspension to help bolster its sporting chops and an aerodynamic system that aims to balance minimizing drag with optimized cooling. We've also already seen a 'Force E' package that would turn the Ocean into a more rugged off-roader for interested fleets.   > More L.A. Auto Show coverage   Today, Fisker also showed the Ocean's rotating infotainment screen, which can be oriented in portrait or landscape mode. At a sneak preview near the company HQ in Manhattan Beach, Henrik Fisker said the company logo is inspired by an ocean sunset. "That's where the orange and blue come from," he said, "with the two vertical lines symbolizing thee designer's pencil and the engineer's ruler — the tools of our trade. My inspiration for the logo happened on a day very much like this one." The new affordable EV crossover is scheduled to begin production a year from today at Magna-Steyr's Graz, Austria factory, though Henrik Fisker said the company is moving fast and could possibly deliver units before then. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.