2023 Fisker Ocean Extreme Sport Utility 4d on 2040-cars

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Over 40,000 customers reportedly cancel their Fisker Ocean reservation

Fisker's ongoing financial troubles have reportedly scared off a substantial number of the buyers who reserved the electric Ocean crossover with a refundable deposit. The company has lost more than 40,000 reservations that it will need to reimburse, according to a recent report. Citing leaked data and internal metrics, Business Insider wrote that Fisker received between 70 and 80 cancellations per day "in a recent seven-day average." The total number of canceled reservations stands at over 40,000, the report said, which represents a huge chunk of the reported 70,000-plus reservations the firm has collected since it opened the order book in November 2019. Fisker hasn't commented on the report. If this is accurate, the cancellations compound Fisker's problems in several ways. First, the brand's sales forecast has seemingly fallen by over 50%, meaning its revenue forecast has inevitably dropped by the same number. This comes at a time Fisker needs to generate more sales in order to stay afloat; it recently paused production of the Ocean to save money, and it's sitting on a massive inventory of unsold cars. Second, Fisker will need to refund the deposit it collected from every reservation holder who cancels, according to Business Insider and the brand's terms and conditions. It costs $250 to reserve one example of the Ocean and $100 for each additional reservation; both sums are refundable. Fisker keeps the $25 processing fee that's added to every reservation, however. The publication estimates Fisker owes its customer base about $9 million. It adds that "a few thousand" customers have separately canceled an order, though the $5,000 deposit on those isn't fully refundable. It's not far-fetched to assume some of the customers who reportedly canceled a reservation realized they can get a new Ocean right away for much cheaper than initially advertised — Fisker slashed the price of its leftover 2023 models by up to $24,000 in March 2024 to trim its inventory of unsold cars and generate cash. Other customers might have simply lost faith in a company teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. While the Ocean, which is built by Magna in Austria, is the only Fisker model that has reached production, the company has shown three other electric cars that it began taking reservations for and ostensibly planned to sooner or later build. There's a pickup called Alaska, a city car named PEAR, and a four-door convertible known as the Ronin.

New Fisker aiming for mid-2016 production Karma restart

One slow step at a time, Fisker is getting things buzzing again with a headquarters in Costa Mesa, CA, and an upcoming factory in Moreno Valley, CA. But the company is keeping quiet about when the first new Karmas might actually hit the road, at least until now. According to Jim Taylor, the company's chief marketing officer, who spoke to The Orange County Register, the reborn automaker plans for a relaunch in 2016, probably in the middle of the year. Unfortunately, Taylor didn't nail down a timeframe any more specific than that. "We won't make any promises to say this is our launch date, get ready," he said to the OCR. Fisker still has some hiring ahead of it before the company is ready to actually produce vehicles again. The headquarters currently has 200 employees, including a new executive team, and is still adding people. As opposed to assembly at the Valmet factory in Finland (where the Karma was originally built), another 150 workers should be at the new 556,000-square-foot California factory when things get rolling there. The Karma's relaunch is already seeing delays, and the details about any changes to the vehicle still aren't clear. The engineering team is repurposing some of the 150 unsold original Karmas as test platforms, according to the OCR, and they are creating bespoke software for it. Also, A123 Systems, now a corporate sibling of Fisker under Wanxiang, is reportedly supplying updated batteries with different chemistry compared to the previous, recalled units. Styling is rumored to be very similar previous version, and the luxury sedan remains an extended-range plug-in hybrid. After getting sufficiently staffed, engineering complete, and production underway, the next major challenge is actually selling the relaunched Karma. Fisker still needs to expand its sales network. Although, repairing old examples for customers at points around the country could provide a foothold. Related Video:

Henrik Fisker interview: the EMotion EV, and a 'game-changer' charging method

In Torrance, Calif., a Danish-born designer-cum-CEO is putting his own name behind a car company he's building. It's not the first time Henrik Fisker has done this, but perhaps it'll go a little more smoothly this time around. The timing seems better for what he wants to do, which is launch a high-end, long-range electric vehicle. It's not settled where Fisker will build its first car, the $129,900 EMotion EV, yet. The company is looking to buy an existing factory but hasn't chosen one yet. Henrik Fisker tells us they've looked at a few, but with no hint of pressure in his voice, says, "We don't have to make a decision until the end of the year." Fisker expects to begin producing the EMotion in 2019. FISKER EMOTION: THE BASICS The Fisker EMotion is powered by two electric motors, one in the front and one in back, giving it all-wheel drive. Fisker told us the EMotion has "a new type of electric motor that we are working on together with a very large supplier." He said it's efficient, light, and compact, but declined to offer up other details, including output. That announcement will come later. In terms of aerodynamics, Fisker says there's a limit to what you can do and still make the vehicle look nice. "You can make a pretty ugly car that's very aerodynamic. You probably remember the GM EV1 that was super aerodynamic, but not necessarily a very pretty car. The Fisker brand is about good-looking cars." Fisker says, though, that there are aero benefits that an electric powertrain makes possible. He was able to lower the front of the EMotion, which he says really makes this four-door look evolved compared to the traditional sedan. With no gasoline engine up front, that lowered cowl also improves the view of the road ahead. Because of its electric layout, The EMotion is able to have its wheels at the very corners, with minimal front and rear overhang. The car features what Fisker calls a "very, very dramatic" functional rear diffuser, which takes advantage of the EV's flat underside. The EMotion also has a small integrated rear spoiler, and airflow around the wheels was optimized without disrupting the car's sculptural look. With the EMotion, Fisker wants to blend sport with luxury. Again, thanks to the packaging of the electric powertrain, the company is able to create a roomy interior by pushing the windshield forward and the rear window back. Fisker even goes so far as to compare the rear legroom to that of a BMW 7 Series.