Low Cost Promised, But No Delivery Until Late 2021
The electric SUV space was lonely until this year, but it promises to be crowded by the end of next year. One anticipated model had a coming out party at CES this month–the Fisker Ocean. It’s the latest product from the fertile pen of Henrik Fisker (designer of the Fisker Karma, now known as the Karma Revero as well other a variety of other cars for BMW and others).
Though many details are still sketchy, at CES Fisker showed a driving prototype of the Ocean compact luxury SUV, which he said will begin initial deliveries near the end of 2021 at $37,499. Assuming the federal tax credit is still in place at the time (a fairly big assumption), the Ocean will retail for less than $30,000. Fisker also said the vehicle would be available with a $379/month lease, including maintenance and service.
However, the showrooms in 2021 could be clogged with electric SUVs. The Fisker Ocean will be up against not only the incumbents—Tesla Model X, Jaguar I-Pace and Audi E-Tron, but newcomers from Mercedes, Byton, Rivian, Faraday Future, Tesla, Volkswagen, Volvo, Ford, General Motors and probably others. The Fisker Ocean shown at CES looked production-ready (compared with some other prototypes on display), but Fisker has yet to announce a production facility or acknowledge the funding to back that next step. He did hint that work was being done on that:
“We have secured a global supply chain and manufacturing capacity that will result in projected production of more than 1 million vehicles between 2022 and 2027,” Fisker said. “We look forward to sharing even more details at the Geneva Motor Show 2020–including our fully-engineered platform and more technical specifications.”
One App To Access All
For now, we have an app right. It can be downloaded to your phone for free at all the usual places. Reserving an Ocean will only take a refundable $250 deposit. The app is due for an upgrade, becoming the Fisker Flexee mobile app when the vehicles are closer to retail sale.
The lease plan promises not only a good price and benefits like 30,000 miles a year in allowed mileage, but the option of returning the car at any point. The $379/month lease begins with $2,999 down for 2022 delivery. The free maintenance and service package in the loan will include a pick up and return service.
Fisker also announced a partnership with Electrify America to ensure a fast-charging network for Ocean owners. By 2021 that network is expected to be approximately 800 charging stations and about 3,500 chargers across 45 states. The expectation is that the Ocean will be able to add 200 miles of range from 30 minutes of charging, with the possibility of even faster times without compromising battery life.
Fisker intends to set up experience centers similar in style to Tesla’s, where test drives can be scheduled through a mobile app. Fisker also addressed a concern heard on Tesla discussion boards—the high cost of insurance—claiming that insurance quotes for the Ocean will be able to be obtained via the same mobile app.
Car Details at this Point
Like many of the new generation of EVs, the Fisker Ocean puts a significant emphasis on the interior experience, taking advantage of the quietness of an electric car, the spaciousness allowed by EV packaging and advanced infotainment technologies.
For Fisker this means “California Mode”—which lowers/slides nine glass windows/panels to open the entire cabin with one touch–creating an open-air feeling while still maintaining a full “roll cage” safety structure around the passengers. Just the thing for sliding in your surfboard. The Ocean is a couple inches shorter than the Jaguar I-Pace,
The platform underpinning the Ocean will be used in two future Fisker models.
Features revealed so far include:
- a full-length solar roof capable of providing 1,000 miles of range during a typical year.
- a vegan interior of 100 percent polycarbonate polyurethane surfaces and 100 percent reinforced Rayon backing.
- Dinamica eco-suede interior textures and patterns derived from polyester fibers and recycled bottles and other plastic.
- use of discarded rubber waste (from the tire manufacturing process).
- a standard range of 250-300 miles, depending on driving conditions, from its 80-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack.
- high-performance and all-wheel drive models. Fisker has also shown a sedan in the past, which now appears to be one of the follow-on models.
Major Changes
Like some other luminaries in the growing electric vehicle industry, Henrik Fisker in not shy about his vision or the accomplishments under his leadership. While the base ($37,499) model may not feature it, Fisker claims to have redesigned the traditional body structure and the way in which it is usually assembled to create its unique retracting rear quarter glass.
Another major step-change announced, but not yet shown by Fisker is the patent-pending Fisker Flexible solid state battery.
Fisker also stated that the company “has secured a strategic global and localized supply chain—which includes…batteries (and) will result in global manufacturing capacity across the United States, Europe and China—with projected production of more than one million vehicles between 2022 and 2027.”
The ambition is large, but unlike some competitors, Fisker has produced vehicles in the past and worked at major auto companies used to volume production. Expect this year and next to be a trickle of news as the Ocean moves closer to production.
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