The wait is finally over: After more than two years in development, Fisker Ocean—the “world’s most sustainable vehicle”—has officially commenced production in Austria.
California-based electric vehicle company Fisker Inc. celebrated the milestone at the iconic Petersen Automotive Museum on November 17. Located in Los Angeles, the museum is home to one of the largest automotive collections in the world.
“It’s an emotional day as we start production of the world’s most sustainable vehicle in record time—on time—in the carbon-neutral factory in Graz,” the company’s founder and CEO, Henrik Fisker, said.
Contract manufacturer Magna Steyr will produce the long-awaited electric SUV. The company is already handling the production of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the Jaguar E-Pace and I-Pace electric vehicle, and the conventional and hybrid versions of the BMW 5 series, among others.
“We’ve challenged the old model of longer development times, reflecting our team’s agility and dedication to creating emotionally desirable vehicles with the newest, most unique experiences in our price range,” Fisker continued.
“We have the highest quality at launch, aligned with our commitment to leading the industry in sustainability,” he said. “It’s a day for our teams and fans to celebrate!”
The ‘world’s most sustainable vehicle’
Founded in 2016, Fisker Inc. is revolutionizing the automobile industry with its sustainable cars.
Designed with the planet in mind, the spacious, all-electric SUV features a sleek, vegan-friendly interior crafted from ethically sourced, upcycled materials.
The upholstery, carpets, and other interior details feature recycled plastic bottles, reclaimed fishing nets, and renewed rubber.
The Fisker Ocean also features innovative technology, including a 17.1-inch swivel touchscreen and a solar panel panoramic roof, which gives drivers about 1,500 miles of additional range per year.
The Fisker Ocean will be available in three trims: Sport, Ultra, and Extreme.
The Sport edition will be the most affordable model. Starting at $37,499, it will feature nearly 250 miles of range. The Ultra edition, which starts at $49,999, will offer 340 miles of range. And the top-tier trim level, the Extreme, will start at $68,999 and have 350 miles of range.
The Extreme—which features the solar panel roof—will roll off of the assembly line first, followed by the more affordable models. The Fisker Ocean already has more than 60,000 reservations with 80,000 projected by the end of the year. The 2023 Sport and Ultra trims have sold out in the U.S.
Luxury electric vehicle market
Fisker Inc. is already planning its next models—the Fisker Pear, which starts at $29,900, and an all-electric, four-door convertible sports car.
Fisker credited the high demand for luxury electric vehicles for the initial launch of the company’s top-tier trim level.
“Right now we see the higher income levels being interested in EVs and the first adopters. They go for the higher-end vehicles,” he said in an interview with Forbes.
“In 2024, we’re going to see more of a leveling out (in price) and more interest,” he continued. “Our whole business model is laid out in a way where we want to aim for volume, which means we need that $37,500 car because that’s how we get the volume.”
The Fisker Ocean will be the latest luxury EV to hit the market.
Bentley will launch its first electric vehicle in 2025. Rolls Royce’s first fully electric car, Spectre, will hit the market in 2023. And in 2021, Aston Martin revealed it’s on track to deliver fully electric and hybrid options for all of its cars by 2024.
In a bid to go all-electric by 2033, Audi’s e-tron, its family of battery-electric and plug-in hybrids, saw record sales in 2021.
“We really want to lead the way towards transformation, towards electric vehicles. And that’s what I’m looking forward to,” Audi of America President Daniel Weissland told Yahoo Finance Live. “Customers want it, we see the demand in the market, and that’s what Audi will stand for in the future.”
For more information on the Fisker Ocean, visit www.fiskerinc.com.
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