Fisker Inc. last week revealed that it had delivered its first Ocean electric SUV to a customer—nearly six months after contract manufacturer Magna started production of the model in Austria.
The first delivery, of an Ocean One launch edition, was attended personally by chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker, to a customer in Denmark, Fisker said. That handover took place at a Fisker facility in Copenhagen. Then on Monday Fisker confirmed the first German “vehicle registration” at the opening of its Munich facilities.
Henrik Fisker with first Ocean delivery in Copenhagen
Fisker has said that the delay has been due to the vehicle homologation process, with full U.S. certification yet to come, although a recent Bloomberg report alleges that the EV startup is facing a series of software-related setbacks. Fisker developed the Ocean in an accelerated two-year timeframe.
All Ocean One launch edition versions and top Extreme-spec versions start at $68,999, accelerate to 60 mph in a claimed 3.6 seconds, offer an innovative rotating infotainment screen, and deliver a claimed 440 miles of WLTP range, which Fisker says is the highest driving range of any battery-electric SUV ever offered in Europe.
That’s from a 113-kwh battery pack—40% more battery capacity than a Tesla Model Y Long Range—so the Ocean does not yet stake out any high claims for EV efficiency.
Fisker Ocean
Fisker Ocean
Fisker Ocean
Fisker did make a potentially game-changing announcement for the segment with plans to use swappable batteries from U.S. startup Ample in 2024. That partnership will target fleet use, at least initially, but it may give Fisker an entry into a market that most EV makers, except for China’s Nio, haven’t managed to see work at scale.
The company has asked for $5,000 per vehicle to firm up pre-orders, and Henrik Fisker has noted that many customers did this without ever seeing an Ocean in person, let alone taking a test drive.
Fisker has also discussed a Flexible Lease program for the Ocean—of just $379 a month plus a $2,999 activation fee, with no penalty. Fisker hasn’t clarified if it intends to tap into the U.S. Commercial Vehicle Credit to subsidize its EV leases.
