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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.  

Former Fisker CEO has some advice for Tesla Motors

Former Fisker Automotive CEO and ex-Chevrolet Volt vehicle-line director Tony Posawatz has some words of caution for Tesla Motors. The long-time automaker executive questions the California automaker's long-term viability – and gives some praise – in a talk with Benzinga, which you can listen to below. While the all-wheel-drive D that Tesla unveiled earlier this month in Southern California wowed a packed crowd, Posawatz (starting at around minute 4:45 in the interview) says Tesla would've been better off taking the resources it expended toward that Model S upgrade and directed them towards speeding up the development of a more affordable plug-in. Perhaps a number of investors agreed, since the company's stock fell the day after the D was announced. Posawatz says Tesla has been over-reliant on the sale of ZEV credits. Posawatz also says that Tesla has been over-reliant on the sale of zero-emissions vehicle credits in California for its earnings and questions whether the automaker will ever work at a large enough scale to sufficiently drive down costs and make consistent profits. Tesla CEO Elon Musk would take issue with this characterization. Posawatz first made his mark in the plug-in vehicle world when he was the vehicle-line director at General Motors for the Volt extended-range plug-in from 2006 to 2012. Later that year, he joined extended-range plug-in maker Fisker Automotive as its CEO, though quit that job during the summer of 2013 as the company was descending into insolvency. He joined the Electrification Coalition this past March. News Source: Benzinga Green Chevrolet Fisker Tesla Electric PHEV Tony Posawatz

Henrik Fisker says he's developing EVs in 'stealth mode'

VLF Automotive added a second model to their small lineup earlier this year. While the Force 1 sports car continued the company's tradition of cars with big displacement gas engines, a story by The Detroit News reveals that corporate partner Henrik Fisker isn't done with electric cars. The story is basically an inside look at how the company operates along with some insight on the company from Bob Lutz, one of the founders, and Henrik Fisker. However, among general comments about the company, Fisker told Detroit News that he's "definitely working in stealth mode on electric cars of the future." The news outlet also reported that Fisker said he's nearing a battery breakthrough and there might be a future electric VLF bearing his name. His interest in continuing with EVs is consistent with past statements, but this is the first we've heard of him actively working on electric car technology. Fisker wanting to stay under the radar in regards to electric car development is also understandable. His previous self-titled car company showed promise with the beautiful Karma plug-in hybrid, but it went bankrupt and was sold off to a Chinese car company. The Chinese company renamed itself Karma and is planning on selling cars again soon. Fisker's other interim automotive ventures have been met with mixed success. He teamed up with Galpin Auto Sport to create a custom Aston Martin Vanquish and Ford Mustang. The former resulted in a lawsuit from Aston, and the latter had polarizing styling. Setbacks clearly don't discourage Fisker though, and he even has plenty of things outside of VLF to keep him busy. He's currently working on a yacht for boat-builder Benetti, and he told The Detroit News he even has an idea for a TV show about building cars. For more on Fisker and VLF, check out the whole Detroit News story here. Related Video: Featured Gallery VLF Force 1 V10: Detroit 2016 View 17 Photos News Source: The Detroit NewsImage Credit: Drew Phillips Green Fisker Automakers Electric Future Vehicles Henrik Fisker karma karma automotive vlf automotive vlf