2023 Fisker Ocean on 2040-cars

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Fisker wants $5,000 nonrefundable downpayment to buy Ocean One

In a March press release, Fisker Automotive said it had surpassed 40,000 reservations for its Ocean SUV and would "open pre-order reservations for the limited-edition Fisker Ocean One on July 1, 2022, due to anticipated demand." Later in the same release, CEO Henrik Fisker said, "Our goal is to be completely transparent with our customers. ... We don’t want reservation holders who expect to purchase a Fisker Ocean One to be disappointed, so we are providing them now with the opportunity to secure their vehicle." Those anticipating the chance to buy an Ocean One might not have been disappointed by the e-mail Fisker sent this week, but they certainly would have been surprised. As reported by Electrek, turns out the offer of "pre-order reservations" was actually an invitation to pay a $5,000 nonrefundable downpayment for an Ocean One. As in, this isn't a reservation, this is the beginning of the purchase process, and a change of heart won't get the money back.   We need to make three things clear. First, this only applies to the limited-edition, $69,000 Ocean One. Shoppers interested in the serial production Ocean are fine with their $250 deposit. Second, Fisker isn't the first EV maker to ask a healthy four-figure deposit. When Lucid unveiled the production version of the Air, it took reservations from $300 to $7,5000 depending on trim. Of course, the key difference is that all of Lucid's reservations were refundable. Third, it's not like there aren't thousands of people buying cars sight-unseen nowadays. GMC Hummer EV and Ford F-150 Lightning buyers reserved, then paid for, then laid eyes on their rigs. And between the herds of car flippers and shoppers just trying to get the new vehicle they want, folks are not only buying sight unseen online, they're driving hundreds of miles to do it. With that out of the way, let's say we still think this is an, ahem, gutsy move on Fisker's part. Established automakers with a century of production knowledge and gold-plated supplier relationships can't get vehicles built in a timely manner. Nascent EV makers like the aforementioned Lucid, as well as Rivian, are more likely to announce production cuts or delays than a production milestone. Case in point, Fisker planned to have its contracted Ocean builder, Magna, running the Ocean down lines at the end of last year.

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 previews Orbit autonomous shuttle

Fisker Inc. isn't just working on an expensive performance EV. The manufacturer, headed by designer Henrik Fisker, is also working on a new " UltraCharger," and has filed patents for solid-state batteries. Now, the company has announced that it is partnering with China's Hakim Unique Group to build an autonomous shuttle for smart cities. Fisker says its Orbit self-driving electric shuttles will be ready by the end of 2018. Fisker hasn't provided a lot of specifics about the Orbit, but we do get a glimpse of it in the two images the company has released. The pod-like vehicle looks to be designed to maximize interior space. The side window has a display that shows the shuttle's next stop and departure time. There appears to be a door ahead of the rear wheels, but we can't really tell if it swings or slides open (we'd guess the latter). The partnership combines Fisker's automotive and design expertise with Hakim Unique Group's resources. Both partners have an interest in mobility and smart infrastructure. Fisker says the first Orbit autonomous shuttle will be deployed in a "Hakim Unique-implemented smart city." We hope to hear more details about this project soon. In the meantime, we can look forward to the public debut of the Fisker EMotion. The luxury EV, which boasts a range of 400-plus miles and a base price of $129,000, will be revealed next month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It also incorporates autonomous technology, but is more focused on a good driving experience. Related Video: News Source: Fisker Green Fisker Green Automakers Green Culture Technology Emerging Technologies Autonomous Vehicles Electric Future Vehicles Henrik Fisker fisker inc