5 Reasons the Fisker Ocean Could Disrupt Electric Crossovers
The Fisker Ocean is an electric crossover from a new manufacturer, the brainchild of famed automotive designer Henrik Fisker. It was announced in 2020, and even though putting a car into production as a new manufacturer is one of the hardest tasks in any industry, the vehicle defied all odds as it began rolling off the assembly line in late 2022.
The production run for the first few months was very low, but in mid-May 2023, the company announced it would start ramping up production to reach an annual output of up to 40,000 vehicles by the end of the year.
Things are looking up for this fledgling automaker, which announced in late 2022 that it had exceeded 60,000 pre-orders for the Ocean—a vehicle that seems to have struck a chord with electric crossover buyers.
A Quick History of Fisker
The Ocean’s creator, Henrik Fisker, has penned some of the prettiest automotive shapes of the modern era. After working for the likes of BMW, Aston Martin, and Ford, the Danish-born designer decided to try his hand at starting his own company to build cars.
That was in 2007. The company was called Fisker Automotive at the time, and its first product was the Fisker Karma plug-in sedan. Journalists and prospective buyers at the time praised the Karma for its unique design and innovative powertrain, but the sleek sedan ultimately failed to make an impact on the market, and it was discontinued after just under 2,500 units were manufactured.
Fast-forward to 2023, and Henrik Fisker is trying his hand at making a ground-up car for the second time. In spite of much negative press and a horde of naysayers, it looks like he is off to a much better start this time with the Ocean.
Let’s examine why the Fisker Ocean is a unique proposition in its segment, and why it could really prove disruptive and take sales away from more established comparable models like the Tesla Model Y.
1. Reasonable Price
The Fisker Ocean looks like a premium vehicle both inside and out, so its relatively affordable starting price in the US of $37,499 (before any kind of incentives) should make it very attractive. The base Ocean Sport trim only has front-wheel drive and a claimed range of 250 miles, but that still makes it a good deal given how much Fisker is charging.
The Ocean Ultra bumps the price up to $49,999, but it adds a motor on the rear axle for all-wheel drive, and it also ups the claimed range to 340 miles. This variant is probably the best value Ocean on offer since it is considerably more affordable than the $68,999 Ocean Extreme, which only has marginally more range (350 miles) and is three tenths quicker to sprint to 60 mph with a claimed time of 3.9 seconds (versus the Ultra’s 4.2 seconds).
2. Unique Design
Take one glance at the Fisker Ocean, and if you know any other car designed by Henrik Fisker, it will feel instantly familiar. The shape of the faux grille in the front, as well as the headlights, tie the Ocean’s look with other Fisker designs. It will look unique, no matter what you park it next to.
But it doesn’t look too weird and it certainly isn’t trying to pull off the sports-car-on-stilts look of the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Even though it’s a crossover, it still looks nice and sporty, with big wheels that dominate the side view, a small greenhouse that gives the impression of a chopped top, and a really upright stance that crossover buyers are sure to appreciate.
3. Practical Features
Henrik Fisker proudly says the Ocean was strongly influenced by California’s surf culture, and it was designed to be an excellent vehicle to cruise to and from the beach. One feature that really highlights this is the electric rear window that drops into the hatch to make the inside of the vehicle feel breezy. It also allows you to put surfboards in the back of the vehicle and have them stick out of the rear if they don’t quite fit.
The Ocean will also feature more recycled materials than any other car on the market, according to its creator. Apparently, as much as 110 pounds (50 kg) of recycled materials can be found throughout the vehicle. This includes old fishing nets (used for the interior carpeting), bits of old carbon fiber (used to create the aerodynamic covers for the wheels), and others.
Fisker will also offer an optional solar roof that will help keep the vehicle’s battery charged, and all Oceans will come with a massive 17.1-inch infotainment display that can actually rotate from portrait into landscape mode when the vehicle is stationary.Touchscreens in cars are usually a bad idea, but the Ocean’s is so big that it shouldn’t be a problem.
4. Big Batteries, Impressive Range
Range is a hot topic among electric vehicle buyers who want to do all they can toovercome range anxiety. That’s why automakers go to great lengths to give their EVs big battery packs.
In the Fisker Ocean’s case, base vehicles come with a 75 kWh pack, while models higher up in the range (those that come with dual-motor all-wheel drive) feature a very large 105 kWh pack. Both packs are of above-average size, and they should bestow the Ocean with excellent range.
It’s worth noting that the range figures provided by Fisker are actually its own estimates, so they weren’t provided by the EPA since the vehicle has not yet been tested in the US. The Ocean has undergone testing in Europe, where it boasts a WLTP range of up to 440 miles (in Extreme trim, with 20-inch wheels).
5. The Magna Steyr Connection
Since Fisker is a small company that lacks its own manufacturing facilities, production of the Ocean had to be outsourced. The company chosen to build and also help with the engineering part of the development process was Austria’s Magna Steyr.
Magna Steyr builds lots of other models for other automakers (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Toyota) and these cars are all high-quality premium machines. This will surely help lend credibility to the Fisker crossover, especially since Magna Steyr was instrumental in its development. Insiders have even said Magna Steyr provided the platform, electronics, and other components for the Ocean, but neither Fisker nor Magna have made this information public.
Things Are Looking Up for Fisker
Deliveries of the Fisker Ocean in the US and Europe are set to commence in the second half of 2023. Between its sharp looks, good specs, and affordability, the Fisker Ocean has the potential to become one of the most popular electric crossovers.
With it, Fisker is doing a fantastic job of distancing itself from the failed Karma project. Given the high number of pre-orders that the company says it has for the Ocean, it looks like it’s on the right track to become a real Tesla Model Y challenger.
Even though the choice of electric SUVs is wide, few vehicles can compete with the Tesla Model Y’s qualities.
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