Newly emerging electric vehicle company Fisker may have only rolled its first EV off the production line barely 4 months ago, but the company is set on making waves with its Ocean model – with the model’s longest range battery version (the ‘Extreme’) recently achieving a record 707 km WLTP range.
That makes it the longest range EV to be offered in the European market, although it should be noted that under the more conservative US EPA test standard, the model is expected to give a 560 km range.
“This achievement is a major milestone for everyone at Fisker, and we are delighted the range exceeds our initial calculations,” CEO Henrik Fisker said in a statement.
The Fisker Ocean SUV will be sold in three versions: the dual motor Extreme and Ultra versions, along with a single motor/smaller battery version called the Sport. Shoppers in Europe and the US are able to reserve and configure the Fisker Ocean via the Fisker website.
As of late February this year Fisker had received approximately 65,000 reservations – meaning Fisker’s production is likely already booked out until late in 2024!
US pricing for the Ocean starts at US$37,500 ($A56,400) for the Sport up to US$69,000 ($A103,750) for the Extreme. The general warranty for the Ocean is set at 6 years/100,000km a powertrain and battery pack warranty of 10 years/160,000 km, with the battery warranty based on a minimum of 75% of its original capacity.
Fisker expects European homologation to be completed by the end of April this year, with customer deliveries starting soon after. The first European showrooms, called ‘Fisker Centres+’, will open in Vienna and Copenhagen on April 11, with additional Centres and Lounges across Europe and the US opening throughout 2023.
All up, not bad for a manufacturer that hasn’t sold a car yet. Also, given the usual ‘Production Hell’ experienced at the ramp-up period of EV production by new EV manufacturers, it would be unsurprising to see delays in that timeline. Hopefully Fisker has enough capital to see them through that period.
As for when we could see the Fisker here in Australia: no mention yet been made of our market. It is a possibility though, as right-hand production of the Ocean has already commenced for the UK market, with first deliveries in the UK expected to begin mid this year.
Bryce Gaton is an expert on electric vehicles and contributor for The Driven and Renew Economy. He has been working in the EV sector since 2008 and is currently working as EV electrical safety trainer/supervisor for the University of Melbourne. He also provides support for the EV Transition to business, government and the public through his EV Transition consultancy EVchoice.