Plans firm for Fisker’s Tesla Model Y rival
The unsinkable Henrik Fisker has declared the production Ocean SUV will be previewed at the Los Angeles show in May 2021 ahead of its long-stated on-sale date in the fourth quarter of 2022.
The timing of the reveal of the battery electric rival to the Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID.44 is the latest in a flurry of announcements from Fisker and his company Fisker Inc., whose chances of actually getting the Ocean into production appear to be solidifying.
As we’ve reported previously, Fisker was one of the early movers and shakers when it came to establish an electric vehicle company. But while rival Elon Musk flew high with Tesla, Fisker’s business, Fisker Motors, crashed and burned. He bounced back with the establishment of Fisker Inc. in 2016.
The key recent announcement – apart from the May reveal of a production-intent prototype – was the establishment of a deal with automotive supplier and manufacturer Magna International to provide key Ocean technology and build the battery electric wagon. Development started in September.
This supplanted earlier reports that Fisker would likely do a deal with Volkswagen to have it build the Ocean on its MEB architecture.
Fisker Inc. has always shied away from owning its own manufacturing plants, instead preferring to focus on exterior and interior design, passenger interfaces and experience and the Ocean sale process.
Fisker Inc. will leverage Magna’s EV architecture and its own intellectual property to produce an aluminium-intensive platform called FM29 that will underpin the Ocean and most likely, other future Fisker models.
They include a super-sports sedan based on the EMotion concept, an extreme sports crossover and a lifestyle pick-up.
Initially, the Ocean will be built only by Magna in Europe at a plant in Graz, Austria.
Magna already builds the I-Pace EV for Jaguar and has assisted Sony with the development of its experimental battery electric vehicle.
Magna has demonstrated its own 180kW e-motor, gearbox, software and vehicle control strategy in a modified I-Pace dubbed the e4. It kept the stock battery but reworked the control system for a claimed 25 per cent improvement in range.
As part of the deal Magna is being issued warrants to purchase up to six per cent of Fisker Inc. capital stock, following the start-up’s reverse merger float on the New York stock exchange.
That process was completed just days ago and valued the company at US$3 billion ($4.22 billion). It also injected US$1 billion ($1.4 billion) into Fisker’s coffers, which is crucial to bringing the Ocean to market. The company says it has no debt.
Other key recent Fisker Inc. announcements include naming Los Angeles as its global headquarters, establishing a technical centre in San Francisco and making Munich in Germany the location for its first European showroom and regional HQ.
It has also announced a deal to supply Danish ride-hailing service Viggo with 300 Oceans in Q4 2022, claimed more than 9000 reservations for the Ocean by late October and made appointments to its board.
Fisker Inc. claims the Ocean will deliver class-leading range, interior space (with optional third-row seating) and overall vehicle performance at a starting price of US$37,499 ($52,750).
Henrik Fisker has called the Ocean “the world’s most sustainable vehicle” and said it will be “digitally focussed”.
Fisker Inc. has previously stated Australia will eventually be an export market.
