2023 Fisker Ocean on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Will Bob Lutz's VL Automotive really offer V8 conversions for Tesla Model S?

VL Automotive is closely tied up with Fisker. The company's first product, the Destino, is a converted Karma and the Destino Red Concept, just unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show, is the same hardtop Karma convertible that Fisker showed in 2009. So, what a surprise it was to see that Bob Lutz, who owns half of VL Automotive, is ready to convert a brand new electric vehicle: the Tesla Model S. A gas-powered Tesla? Say what? A gas-powered Tesla? Say what? That's at least one way to read this short article in The Detroit News. There's not a lot of context and a distinct lack of details, so we're left wondering if maybe Lutz just meant that Model S owners can buy a Destino. You can read the exchange for yourself here. What we do know is that Lutz said that VL Automotive has already sold nine Destino conversions. The cars cost $200,000, up from the previous estimate of $180,000, and well above the $116,000 max price tag on the original Karma. For your money, you get a 6.2-liter V8 taken from a Chevrolet Corvette that puts out 636 horsepower and can beat the 135-mile-per-hour top speed that the Karma has. Lutz said that all could add up to sales of around 200 or 300 Destinos each year. Featured Gallery VL Destino Red Concept: Detroit 2014 View 21 Photos News Source: The Detroit News via Green Car ReportsImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL Green Detroit Auto Show Fisker Tesla Electric Hybrid PHEV vl automotive destino

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.

Fisker earnings call touts the Ocean's arrival, teases the Pear

Henrik Fisker's on his third go as head of an independent carmaker. It started with Fisker Coachbuild, putting new bodies on German sports cars to create the Tramonto and Latigo. His dreams soon went electric with Fisker Automotive and the Karma. The latest dream revision birthed Fiker Inc, the company behind the Ocean. Based on details provided during the company's Q4 and full-year 2022 results call with analysts, the third time could well and truly be the charm. The bullet points are a startup's dream. There are 56 Ocean prototypes on the roads, 15 of them in partner Magna Steyr's fleet for daily testing and validation. Fisker Inc spent less money than expected in 2022 ($702 million) and has more cash on hand than expected. And if things go smoothly in 2023, the predicted spend and gross margin could leave Fisker Inc with "potentially positive EBITDA [Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization] for 2023." Huge if it happens. If there's slightly mixed news, it's with the Q1 2023 timeline. The good bit is that Fisker says homologation programs in the U.S. and seven European countries are "progressing well," the processes expected to conclude in March. After that, the company needs to secure final regulatory approvals from the U.S. EPA, California's Air Resources Board, and the seven international regions. Fisker touted the broad market strategy as lowering risk since getting approved in multiple markets would give the company the option to go where demand is greatest. The target has been to get the first 300 Ocean units delivered by the end of March, Fisker saying the company secured supplier commitments for the quarterly and annual build schedules. With the amount of paperwork yet to be done, though, hitting the March deadline could be close. After that, according to the CEO, it's back to uncut good news. Those homologation programs have apparently shown ranges better than expected for the Ocean. Instead of the 350-mile range predicted on the U.S. regime, Fisker thinks "it's going to be closer to 360 [miles]." Instead of the Europe's WLTP prediction of 630 kilometers, he said, "I think this will be closer to 700."  As of the end of February, the company is sitting on roughly 65,000 reservations or orders for the Ocean. The goal is to manufacture 42,000 units this year, the ramp-up going from 300 in Q1 to 8,000 in Q2, more than 15,000 in Q3, and at least 19,000 in Q4.