Henrik Fisker tried to make his production dreams come true for the second time. In a way, he managed to come very close to that goal. Many thought he would succeed this time around because the Karma should've taught him all the important lessons.
The man (as CEO), his wife (as COO and CFO), and the team involved in the reborn company's success tried to make Fisker Inc. an automotive powerhouse. The Austrian-made Ocean eSUV attracted attention, while people looking to score a win invested in the startup. Some threw hundreds of thousands of dollars at it, while others got into costly agreements to be the first to experience the vehicle.
Initially, things looked great. As early owners started reporting issues, Fisker acted fast and even sent high-level executives to its customers' homes to assure buyers that everything would be ok. The company established official online communities and even announced its intent to become an all-American manufacturer with the help of a partner like Foxconn.
Things looked even brighter when Fisker presented its upcoming models, which included a very expensive, tailor-made zero-tailpipe emission convertible grand tourer (Ronin), a midsize pickup truck (Alaska), and an urban crossover SUV (PEAR).
As it stands, those models were just products of wishful thinking. The company was already struggling back then, even though we weren't in the loop. When writing, Fisker has filed for bankruptcy protection. It is trying to pay creditors first by selling whatever assets it has left. Tragicomically, that includes Oceans, too. Employees, for example, were invited to buy existing inventory for around $20,000 per unit.
Photo: Fisker
Fisker Ocean One owners (which should be around 5,000 people) spent $69,000 before taxes and fees on their fully loaded units. Now that the company is on the brink of extinction, one of those unlucky customers decided to take matters into their own hands. They put their one-of-5,000 model with 1,800 miles on the odometer up for sale on Bring a Trailer – with a reserve! And the platform agreed to it!
The unit is bound to attract interest from people who want to keep the eSUV as a museum piece or disassemble it for a restomod project, but meeting the reserve… Well, to put it mildly, that might not happen. After all, there aren't that many EV enthusiasts out there who have room for the ride that is now synonymous with Henrik Fisker's second automotive failure.
Keep in mind that the Ocean won't be fixed by the few dealers who signed a partnership with the imminently defunct automaker shortly before its demise. You'll pay for the repairs (if parts are going to be available), and then you'll have to ask whatever is left of Fisker Inc. for reimbursement.
Ultimately, auction participants decide what happens. At the time of writing, 10 bids have been registered, with the top one being $7,600.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News