Tesla is a tough act to follow. But one EV startup aiming to do just that — along with the likes of Rivian and Lucid Motors — is Fisker. The brand aims to build “the world’s most emotional and sustainable vehicles.” The first effort, the Fisker Ocean, is a crossover. It took home a 2023 Red Dot Design Award.
Here’s everything else you need to know about it.
What is Fisker?
Fisker has had a complicated corporate history. Henrik Fisker was a car designer who worked for BMW and Ford/Aston Martin. He started Fisker Automotive in 2007, which ended up building the Fisker Karma. The assets from that company were sold to the Wanxiang Group, which formed Karma Automotive. Fisker kept the rights to the Fisker brand and started the current entity, Fisker Inc., in 2016.
What is the Fisker Ocean?
The Fisker Ocean is an all-electric SUV. It has four doors and a rear tailgate. It’s available in both FWD and AWD versions. Dimensionally, it’s about the same size as a Tesla Model Y — one inch longer, 0.3 inches taller and 0.6 inches wider. The 115-inch wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than the Model Y.
How much power and range does the Fisker Ocean have?
The Fisker Ocean can put out up to 550 hp with dual-motor AWD and the Peak HP option, which can propel the vehicle from 0-60 mph in about 3.6 seconds. The base model has 275 horsepower. The maximum range for the Fisker Ocean is an estimated 350 miles with the Hyper Range battery pack. The base model Ocean has an estimated 250 miles of range.
Does the Fisker Ocean have any unique features?
You bet. The Ocean has a California Mode, which can lower eight glass panels to make the Ocean a convertible with the push of a button. Fisker says there’s enough room to slot a surfboard through the rear window. A Solar Sky roof on upper-level models can add around 1,500 miles of extra range per year. The Ocean also has a 17.1-inch touchscreen that can flip from portrait to landscape mode.
How much does the Fisker Ocean cost?
The Ocean starts at $37,499 MSRP for the single-motor FWD Sport version. The dual-motor AWD Ultra starts at $49,999. The range tops out with the Launch Edition and Ocean Extreme, which both start at $68,999. You can reserve an Ocean on the website with a $250 deposit.
Can you lease a Fisker Ocean for $379 per month?
Yes. Fisker offers Oceans under Flexee Lease plans for as low as $379 monthly with no set term limit. But there are some catches. Lessees must pay a $2,999 activation fee. There’s also a $299 return fee when you terminate the lease. And lessees are limited to 30,000 miles per year, prorated monthly. (That's 2,500 per month, which is quite a lot.)
Is the Fisker Ocean in production?
Yes. Austria’s Magna Steyr, the builder of the Mercedes G-Wagen and Toyota Supra among other vehicles, is building the Fisker Ocean. Fisker started producing Oceans in November 2022. Their goal was to deliver 300 cars in Q1 2023 and ramp up to 42,400 units by the end of 2023.
Does Fisker have more vehicles on the way?
Yes. The next vehicle to make its debut will be the Pear, which they describe as an agile, urban lifestyle EV. The base model will nominally start below $30,000 and be built by Foxconn in America. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2024. Follow-up candidates include a Fisker Ronin grand touring convertible and a Fisker Alaska EV pickup.
