The 2021 Fisker Ocean is literally making a huge splash in the EV market. And if the Fisker name sounds familiar, you’re probably thinking about the Fisker Karma, which earned bragging rights of being the world’s first luxury-hybrid vehicle to enter production.
The Fisker Ocean is the second production vehicle with the Fisker name
First, a bit of history. When the Fisker Karma entered production in late 2011, it became what people thought is the car of the future. And despite lingering issues with the build quality, the Karma is the epitome of a desirable hybrid grand touring car. The man behind this vision is Henrik Fisker, an American-Danish automotive designer who penned the BMW Z8 and both the Aston Martin DB9 and V8 Vantage.
So yeah, the guy knows a thing or two about beautiful cars.
But something happened in late 2012. Fisker Automotive’s battery supplier (which happens to be A123 Systems of the Chinese Wanxiang Group) filed for bankruptcy and production of the Karma came to a screeching halt. Eventually, Fisker Automotive had no choice but to also file for bankruptcy in 2013.
In a strange twist of events, the Wanxiang Group eventually purchased the manufacturing and design facility of Fisker Automotive in 2016. The company was renamed to Karma Automotive and is known for introducing the Karma Revero GT and Karma GT by Pininfarina at the 2019 Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach.
With all that being said, the Fisker Ocean is the second production vehicle bearing the Fisker name. But instead of a hybrid powertrain like the Karma, the Ocean is an all-electric vehicle.
It’s designed to bang heads with Tesla Model Y
However, it seems the Tesla Model Y will have a head-start. According to Fisker, full-scale production of the Ocean begins at the end of 2021, but the company is opening the order books as early as November 27 this year. In reality, first deliveries of the Ocean won’t commence until early 2022, so the Model Y has a two-year head-start with first deliveries slated in 2020.
And with a dual-motor Model Y achieving 280-miles of range and zero to sixty in only 4.8-seconds, the Fisker Ocean better be more than good. Similar to Model Y, Ocean will be sold in single and dual motor configurations. Both models will get an 80 kWh battery pack for a claimed driving range of 300 miles.
Fisker is yet to reveal performance numbers for the Ocean, but we reckon it’ll be fairly quick off the line, too. With flared wheel arches, narrow headlights, and an Alfa Romeo-inspired rear end, the Ocean is oozing with sportiness. Sadly, the same can’t be said for Tesla’s Model Y, which many say resembles the lovechild of a Tesla Model S and humpback whale.
The Fisker Ocean also has a couple of unique features. The most obvious one is the inbuilt solar panels in the roof, which Fisker said generates enough juice for 1,000-miles of clean driving. But the most interesting part is the Targa-style removable roof section that, according to Fisker, easily removes with a touch of a button.
So, the Ocean is an all-electric family SUV with a Targa roof and solar panels. It really feels like the future, does it?
Fisker claims Ocean is the world’s most sustainable vehicle
If the solar panels on the roof are any indication, it’s clear the new Fisker Ocean is more oriented towards sustainability rather than blasting from 0 to 60 mph in the fastest possible time. The vegan themed-interior is leather-free according to Fisker, while the carpets are manufactured from recycled fishing nets. Meanwhile, the cabin is festooned with materials crafted from recycled t-shirts.
The 2021 Fisker Ocean will be priced around $40,000 and will be offered for lease using a dedicated smartphone app. We’re not entirely sure what that means, but we’ll have more details as Fisker officially unveils the production-spec Ocean on November 27.
