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Fisker tells its staff that four companies are interested in buying it

Fisker is nearing bankruptcy, but there might be a light at the end of the long, dark tunnel it's been traveling in for the past few months. Four companies have shown an interest in buying the troubled brand, according to comments made during a meeting by founder Henrik Fisker. "We still have some time to get other offers on Fisker. We do have four car companies that have signed NDAs," the executive said during what's described as an "all-hands meeting" for staff members held earlier this month. "However, they obviously need time to get some diligence." Business Insider, who reported the comments, adds that Fisker didn't reveal the identity of the four companies. He specified that they're car companies, but that's a vague term that could refer to anything from a small startup with shady backing to a major group that's been around for over a century. Similarly, there's no word on how long it will take for these companies to decide whether to make an offer on Fisker. In spite of its setbacks, including damning reviews of the only model it has managed to bring to production, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) probe, and reports of thousands of canceled orders, Fisker seemingly remains fairly attractive to investors. Nissan briefly considered buying the carmaker earlier in 2024 but the talks ended without a deal, according to an earlier report. Deutsche Bank is helping Fisker look for takeover candidates, and the company has already turned down one offer that wasn't "sufficient," its CEO said. Fisker hasn't commented on the report. Meanwhile, industry trade journal Automotive News (subscription only) reports Henrik Fisker has listed his personal home — an 11,800-square-foot mansion in Hollywood Hills — for sale at $35 million, though you can also rent it for $125,000 per month. The publication notes $35 million is more than Fisker's market cap, which stood at $33.7 million when it was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.  

Weekly Recap: Aston Martin to add another sports car, new Lagonda sedan, EVs

Aston Martin will revamp and expand its lineup as part of a five-year plan laid out by the company's new executives. If it succeeds, the strategy will position Aston for growth as an independent automaker with a more stable future in its second century. Aston will replace all of the cars in its current lineup and add a fourth sports car to its stable. It currently has three: the DB9, Vanquish and Vantage. The unnamed sports car will be joined by a production version of the DBX concept – an all-wheel-drive electric car that treads near crossover territory – that was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show. Aston's electric strategy also includes a potential electric-powered Rapide. Eventually, Aston plans to build a new four-door Lagonda. Though Aston will diversify its portfolio and the range could expand to seven vehicles, it will limit production to around 7,000 units annually, said Aston Martin marketing and communications director Simon Sproule, who described the company's strategy in an interview with Autoblog. CEO Andy Palmer, who joined Aston last year from Infiniti, has also spoken recently about remaking the company for the future. EVs are a major part of Aston's future, Sproule stressed, because they allow the automaker to "balance" its portfolio. Aston is studying the feasibility of an electric Rapide and is working with an undisclosed engineering firm. It's likely to use a plug-in setup and would cost $200,000 to $250,000 or more. It could use either a rear-wheel or all-wheel-drive configuration. View 14 Photos "It's a study, but we're serious about it," Sproule said. He added for emphasis: "If not this, there will be an electric Aston Martin in the future." Aston has taken note of what Tesla has done with the brisk-driving Model S and decided that's the dynamic it wants for some of its own cars. Even though EVs don't emit the same sonorous note as a V12 – they're better than the alternative, Sproule said. "The sound of silence is much more preferable than the sound of a four-cylinder whining away under the hood of an Aston Martin," he said. Speaking of V12s, they're not going away. Aston will continue to make its own V12 engine, but will source its V8 from Mercedes-AMG (whose parent, Daimler, owns a small stake in Aston). While the V12 is sure to please the faithful, Aston admits EVs and the crossover-like DBX will rankle many. Sproule argues those are the moves that will keep Aston relevant.

Henrik Fisker reveals the nose of the EMotion EV

UPDATE: Fisker has provided us with additional teaser photos that can be viewed above. An included press release also reiterated the claim that the EMotion will have an electric range of 400 miles, and that the company's UltraCharger system will be able to charge the battery for 100 miles of range in just 9 minutes. Henrik Fisker announced not too long ago that his eponymous car brand would reveal its new EMotion electric sedan this summer, and it seems the reveal is on track. Fisker revealed a new teaser photo on Twitter that shows the sedan. Though he only shared one photo to Twitter, it reveals a number of interesting details and changes compared with the previously shown concept. The first thing you'll likely notice is the "grille." It doesn't appear to actually have any openings, which makes sense considering an electric car doesn't really have a need for a large grille opening. This is probably also why Fisker calls it a "bright piece" rather than a grille. What it does have, according to Fisker, is a LIDAR sensor embedded in the middle. This implies that the EMotion will have some autonomous driving assists, and possibly a Tesla Autopilot-like self-driving mode. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The sensor's placement is also a clever way to integrate the system in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Previous self-driving cars, such as the first-generation autonomous Ford Fusion, had very prominent and ugly sensors mounted to the roof. Up to this point, the best integrated sensors were found on the autonomous Hyundai Ioniq, which hid the sensors in little black rectangles low on the car. They were far more subtle than other implementations, but still looked a bit awkward when spotted. The grille also looks larger than the one on the original concept and it leans back more. The entire front fascia has been revised, too, arguably for the better. The cluttered mess of vents, scoops, angles, creases have given way to a simpler, more rounded nose. The only vents left are those on each end of the front bumper. The car now also features a split headlight design like that of the current Jeep Cherokee and Nissan Juke, in which the lower lamps are the primary illuminators, and the upper lamps are for accent lighting and for use as turn signals. Fisker describes them as "eyes like a panther." We admit there is a distinct resemblance.