Fisker may have taken a Deontay Wilder sized blow to the chin when it went through its whirlwind bankruptcy several years ago, but that has not stopped company founder Henrik Fisker from continuing his efforts at giving the world design-centric green machines. To drive home this point, Fisker has just taken the wraps off of his latest creation ahead of the 2020 CES event in Las Vegas.
Dubbed the Ocean, it is an all new electric CUV that brings Fisker into a decidedly more utility focused direction than the ill-fated and slow selling Karma sedan. Due to be released to consumers in 2022, the Ocean will face stiff competition not only from the Tesla Model Y, but also entries such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E which made it’s own debut at the L.A. Auto Show.
So what makes the Ocean so unique and different? For starters, it shares little in common with either the Karma or the EMotion concept from CES 2018, and instead is its own unique breed of design. Fisker tasked his designers with the challenge of making the Ocean stand out from a crowded sea of utility entries, and as a result, the bespoke EV arrives with several innovative styling elements. For instance, the front fascia has a very clean design, with the turn signals themselves being relocated into the D-pillars, while solar panels inhabit the roof. Fisker claims that the latter item can help generate 1,000 miles of extra driving range if owners regularly park in sunny areas. A range of 1,000 miles might not seem much, but Fisker reps say it is a good start, and that engineers are trying to get more range out of the system.
The Ocean comes with a heads-up display system, but in a curious twist, the Ocean adds a Kareoke feature that displays song lyrics onto the glass alongside other key information such as the speedometer and navigation directions. Fisker chose to keep detailed images of the interior from prying eyes, but like his prior creations, sustainability and novel material choices are a key calling card. In the case of the Ocean, that means materials like discarded fishing nets, vegan based plastics and fabric, as well as reclaimed wood trim pieces.
The Ocean also features a “California Mode” which drops the rear window, lowers the six side windows, and even fully opens the sunroof for maximum air flow while also serving as a subtle nod to older station wagons. Performance for the Ocean comes from a 80 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that sends its power to two electric motors mounted over each axle. Fisker claims the setup can deliver between 250 and 300 miles of driving range depending on how it is driven. Volkswagen owned Electrify America will open its growing network of charging stations to Ocean owners, which should ease worries about range anxiety.
Fisker expects to begin Ocean production in late 2021, with deliveries starting a year after that in early 2022. Buyers looking to add their name to the build list still have time to send a $250 deposit to the company, but they will face a choice when it comes time to formally purchase it, with buyers either paying the $37,499 base price (before various incentives are factored into the equation) or lease it for $379 a month after a $2,999 down payment. Choose the second option and buyers can keep the Ocean for one month, eight months, 22 months, or “several years” with an annual allowance of 30,000 miles.
Along with the Ocean, Fisker also plans to build two more global models on the Ocean’s platform, while the proposed global supply chain should allow the firm to build over one million cars between 2022 and 2027. That is an ambitious plan, but we will give Fisker credit for their confidence in hitting these targets. Look for more information on Fisker’s long term plans when the company makes the trip to the 2020 Geneva Motor Show later this year.