Fisker Ocean production on track; deliveries to begin shortly [Update]

Update: ‘Specifications’ section updated.

California-based Fisker is looking to create a big impact in the American EV market with the Fisker Ocean, a battery electric vehicle with a solar panel integrated into its roof. It’s not the first time we are seeing solar panels on an EV. We’ve seen the Lightyear One already. The Fisker Ocean manifests futuristic technologies differently and sports multiple industry-first features to distinguish it from mainstream EVs. Here’s everything we know about the Fisker Ocean so far:

Fisker Ocean Design

Chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker himself designed the Ocean. Instead of resorting to an aerodynamic design in the interest of range, he adopted a somewhat quirky design. The Ocean’s stance is upright, but sleek elements are all around. A full-width LED light bar unites the horizontal LED headlamps with illuminated Ocean lettering at the center. The Fisker logo is illuminated as well. The chin comprises a grille with honeycomb inserts.

The side profile is uncluttered. 20-inch aero wheels produced using recycled materials are standard, while higher variants come with 22-inch rims. The Fisker Ocean gets flush-fitting door handles, side body cladding, and a blacked-out window area. There’s a rear quarter glass, and there are ultra-sleek tail lamps. There’s also a subtle roof-integrated spoiler with a stop lamp. The rear bumper looks complex with its multi-layered design and has a massive diffuser.

Customers can choose from seven color options: Night Drive, Great White, Silver Lining, Horizon Gray, Mariana, and Blue Planet. The Big Sur Blue metallic matte paint is offered exclusively on the Fisker Ocean One launch edition.

Interior & Features

The interior is packed to the brim with exciting details. For starters, the Fisker Ocean has what the company calls a ‘vegan’ interior with ethically sourced sustainable materials. The eco-friendly cabin houses premium upholstery, carpets, and interior trims built using recycled plastic bottles, repurposed rubber waste, worn-out t-shirts, and abandoned fishing nets, on all variants.

On December 13, 2022, Fisker shared a picture of the Ocean’s interior on Instagram while he was having a look at its various interior color and material combinations. The dark, grayish theme of this Ocean suggests it features the Black Abyss Plus interior color and Black FeelTek seats. This interior configuration includes Black EcoFabric on the dashboard, doors, and center console, and dark metallic accents.

Revolve rotating touchscreen

For Fisker, size clearly matters. The 17.1-inch central touchscreen is among the largest we’ve seen on production vehicles. It appears like a TV screen attached to the Ocean’s dashboard. It’s a rotating panel with two modes — the portrait ‘Control’ Mode and the landscape ‘Hollywood’ Mode for owners to stream movies. Fisker has applied for a patent for its Revolve screen, but it is not granted yet. The rotating function is only on the Extreme and the launch edition One variants.

In a video Fisker posted on Twitter on October 17, 2022, the company’s Chairman and CEO gave a demonstration of how to rotate the touchscreen of the Ocean’s infotainment system. To tilt the touchscreen from portrait to landscape and vice-versa, the driver has to press and hold a large and easy-to-locate button situated right below it. The system was probably running a demo video, but it indicated that the final software will have a simple, focused, and intuitive UI.

Source: YouTube/Fisker

Fisker Pulse Sound system

The Ocean features the 575-watt Fisker Pulse Audio System with Panasonic’s ELS Studio 3D technology. It gets 15 speakers, a 6-channel dashboard speaker array, and a 19L subwoofer. The Ocean Ultra features a 12-speaker Harman audio system, while the Ocean Sport settles for an 8-speaker Harman audio system with a 3-band equalizer.

The Ocean Extreme and Ocean One offer a theater-like cabin experience with the Fisker Pulse Audio System. There’s also a Limo Mode on the top two variants which brings a digital touchscreen for the rear passengers to control cabin temperature, fan speed, and infotainment.

While we’re on the subject of sound, it’s also worth noting that the Ocean generates an artificial sound through speakers at low speeds to alert nearby pedestrians, drivers, and riders. It’s a sci-fi-inspired sound that makes the Ocean feel futuristic. Fisker has shared a video on Instagram to give a demo of this artificial sound feature, which is slowly turning mandatory as part of basic safety.

Doggie Power Windows

An incredibly unique feature called the California Mode provides passengers with a convertible-like experience. On the Ultra, Extreme, and One variants, all the glass areas including the rear quarter glass and the rear windscreen, can be rolled down at the touch of a button to let the breeze inside. Fisker calls the rear quarter glass and the rear windscreen ‘Doggie Windows’, implying that pets can enjoy the drive from the rear. The California Mode also rolls back the SolarSky roof.

Fisker Intelligent Pilot

The Ocean features Fisker Intelligent (FI) Pilot, the company’s ADAS system for enhanced safety and driving comfort. FI Pilot uses a combination of four sensors: a world-first “Digital Radar System” that consists of front and rear radars, a set of cameras (an 8 MP front camera and four surround-view cameras), ultrasonic sensors, and a driver monitoring camera.

Like Tesla, Fisker isn’t using LiDAR sensors. While Tesla thinks that its camera-based system is better, Fisker was simply looking for a more affordable solution. In an interview with Fierce Electronics in January 2022, Fisker said that Digital Radar System lowers the cost, and that ensuring that the Ocean was accessible to everyone was really important.

Five HD radars on all corners and front of the vehicle provide the Ocean a 360-degree coverage. Fisker says that Digital Radar System is better at providing driver safety than analog radar. With more resolution and greater detail, this system can distinguish pedestrians and small objects from objects beside them better. It can sense smaller objects with greater precision, which means small and low-lying objects on the road have a lesser chance of being left undetected.

Digital Radar can make out between objects of different sizes at different speeds. For example, where an analog radar might read two trucks as a solid object and miss the open lane between them, Digital Radar can also see a vehicle driving in the middle lane. It performs better in dark places like tunnels, too.

Fisker says Digital Radar can detect vehicles as far as 200 meters (656 feet) and pedestrians from 80 meters (262 feet) away. Fisker Intelligent Pilot provides Automatic Emergency Braking for Forward Cross Traffic Vehicle Collision Mitigation, Reverse Cross Traffic Vehicle Collision Mitigation, and Turn-across-path Vehicle Collision Mitigation.

Our asset-light, the rapid-product-development business model enables us to bring active safety systems to market earlier than our competition. Fisker Intelligent Pilot and Fisker Digital-Imaging combine reliable ADAS cameras with 4D digital radars, giving owners industry-leading safety.

Henrik Fisker, Chairman & CEO of Fisker Inc.

The digital imaging radar is present on the Extreme and One variants only. However, even the base Sport variant gets a suite of ADAS features like driver drowsiness and attention warning, automatic emergency braking, collision warning, lane keep assist, speed assist, lane departure avoidance, and traffic signs recognition. The higher variants get a 360-degree surround view with 3D imaging, door opening warning, park spot finder, automatic parking, evasive steering assist, and adaptive cruise control.

Taco Tray

Fisker has equipped the Ocean with a fold-out tray table for the driver. Called ‘Taco Tray,’ it can be stowed in the compartment under the center console armrest. On October 19, 2022, Fisker demonstrated this feature in a post on LinkedIn.

Fisker Ocean 7-seater planned for a later date

Fisker told Bjorn Nyland at the Mobile World Congress (February 28-March 3, 2022) that a seven-seater version would follow later. However, given the dimensions of the Ocean, the added third row of seats wouldn’t be suitable for adults, but would have enough room for children, he explained. A 7-seater option would undoubtedly make the Ocean more appealing for larger families.

Delayed features

Like most new-age EVs, the Ocean supports over-the-air updates to improve the existing features and gain new features even after customers have taken delivery. According to a report Automotive News published on November 9, 2022, the company plans to add Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, and Automatic High Beam in early 2023 and expects to add Lane Centering and Traffic Jam Assist by late 2023.

The features we’ve mentioned above are basic, and most customers would expect them to be available right from launch. However, Henrik Fisker has suggested that the company may need to postpone sales commencement if it wants to offer every promised and expected feature right from day one. The priority is to begin deliveries on time, so it has decided to release less-critical features with future OTA updates. Cruise control won’t be available initially either, and the company may take three, six, or even nine months to enable it, the brand boss has indicated.

Specifications

Earlier, there were reports of Fisker using Volkswagen’s MEB platform for the Ocean SUV. After the brand partnered with Magna, it was confirmed to be built on an aluminum skateboard architecture christened FM29, which stands for Fisker-Magna, and 29 for the 2921 mm wheelbase.

The entry-level Sport variant gets a single-motor FWD drivetrain, while the rest get a dual-motor-AWD layout. In the interest of range, the drive is deployed to the rear only if the traction control system detects a loss of grip. All variants except the Sport also get torque vectoring.

The most performance-focused powertrain of the Ocean, available in the Extreme and One grades, produces 468 hp and 696.4 Nm (514 lb.-ft.) of torque. A Boost mode allows the driver to temporarily increase the power and torque to 564 hp and 736.8 Nm (543 lb.-ft.), respectively. Despite the abundant power and torque, the top speed is just 205 km/h (127 mph), but we think it’s electronically limited. Recently, Fisker shared a video (on Instagram) showing him driving the Ocean above the top speed – 208 km/h (129 mph).

The Sport grade uses a lithium-ion-phosphate battery developed by CATL, which provides the Ocean with 250 miles of range (targeted EPA). The rest of the grades, all of which have an AWD drivetrain layout, use a different battery pack that CATL also supplies. The Ultra, Extreme, and One variants get what Fisker calls the Hyper Range battery that comprises a nickel-manganese-cobalt cell chemistry. As a result, the One has a 350-mile range (targeted EPA), while the Ultra’s range (targeted EPA) is 340 miles.

Fisker recently completed its EPA and WLTP range tests, and its internal findings show a longer range than what it initially projected, Fisker (the CEO) said during Fisker’s Q4 2022 and Full Year 2022 earnings conference call on February 27, 2023. Fisker has since confirmed 707 km (439 miles) as the official WLTP range of the Ocean in its Extreme and One grades. That’s the highest range for any electric SUV available in Europe. Fisker anticipates that the Ocean will become America’s longest-range electric SUV, potentially surpassing the record held by the Tesla Model X, which does 348 miles.

Fisker Ocean aspect	Sport	Ultra	Extreme	One
Length (in. / mm)	188 / 4775	188 / 4775	188 / 4775	188 / 4775
Width (in. / mm)	78.5 / 1994.5	78.5 / 1994.5	78.5 / 1994.5	78.5 / 1994.5
Height (in. / mm)	64.2 / 1631	64.1 / 1629	64.1 / 1629	64.1 / 1629
Wheelbase (in. / mm)	115 / 2921	115 / 2921	115 / 2921	115 / 2921
Drivetrain	Single motor FWD	Dual motor AWD	Dual motor AWD	Dual motor AWD
Output (hp)	275	540	468 hp or 564 hp with Boost	468 hp or 564 hp with Boost
Torque	TBA	TBA	696.4 Nm or 736.8 Nm with Boost (514 lb.-ft. or 543 lb.-ft. with Boost)	696.4 Nm or 736.8 Nm with Boost (514 lb.-ft. or 543 lb.-ft. with Boost)
0-60 mph (seconds)	6.9	3.9	3.6	3.6
Top Speed	TBA	TBA	205 km/h (127 mph)	205 km/h (127 mph)
Targeted EPA Range (in miles)	250	340	350	350
Official WLTP Range (miles)	TBA	TBA	439	439

SolarSky roof

The full-length solar roof is standard on the Extreme and One variants. The technology integrates photovoltaic solar panels onto the panoramic glass roof with fixed and sliding sections. Under mixed conditions, the solar roof can generate up to 1,500 miles (2,414 km) range every year. Under ideal conditions, the range may increase to more than 2,000 miles (3,218 km) annually.

Fisker posted a video on Twitter on March 4, 2022, showcasing the solar roof from the cabin of the Fisker Ocean. It appears that the solar cells are placed in square-shaped grids with enough space between them to allow light inside, which is quite an intelligent design. The company chief says that this is the largest solar roof on an electric car, a claim that cannot be verified until we have the exact dimensions of the top.

Remember that the Lightyear One and Aptera also have solar roofs. The Lightyear One has solar panels on the roof and the bonnet, while the Aptera has solar panels at the front, on the roof, and at the rear. So the Fisker might have the most extensive solar roof, but it’s unlikely that it has the largest solar panel in size.

The tires feature Bridgestone’s ‘Enliten’ EV-specific technology that reduces rolling resistance by up to 30% and reduces weight by up to 20%. The Lightyear One also features tires with the same technology.

Home charger

Fisker will offer the Wallbox Pulsar Plus wall charger as the home charging solution for the Ocean in the U.S. and Canada. Wallbox’s Pulsar Plus charger is smaller than a toaster and weighs just 1 kg or 2.2 lbs. (without cable). It allows charging at up to 22 kW and comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and DC leakage protection. Customers using this charger can schedule charging sessions during off-peak hours to save money and control it using the company’s myWallbox app on their smart devices.

Production

Magna production

Fisker has deals with multiple partner companies. Magna is a manufacturing partner and co-developer for the Ocean, with an agreement that was finalized in December 2020. The Fisker Ocean entered production at Magna’s carbon-neutral facility in Graz, Austria, on November 17, 2022. Reservation holders will initially see their final build lock-in dates as a calendar quarter estimate (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4). They will get the exact dates closer to the scheduled production day.

Production ramp-up & localization

Fisker plans to produce 32,000-36,000 units of the Ocean in 2023. The company expects to build over 1,400-1,700 units in Q2 2023 and to increase the monthly output to approximately 6,000 units per month towards the end of Q3 2023.

With an increase in reservations for the Fisker Ocean, the brand is hoping that manufacturing partner Magna would increase output to 150,000 units in 2024, as reported by Automotive News on April 26, 2022. Magna, which holds a 6% stake in Fisker, has agreed to make 50,000 units of the Ocean annually. However, scaling up output at such an extreme rate would require the global supply chain bottlenecks to ease out and sustain interest in the product from consumers.

During the Q1 2022 earnings conference call, Fisker said that Magna is fully on board with the plan to triple production in 2024, but it can wait for up to 12 months before making the call. It would need to inform CATL also in about 12 months about its requirement. The decision depended on whether the company recorded 75,000-80,000 orders by the end of 2022. However, the demand didn’t turn out to be that high, and we’ve detailed that in the ‘Reservations & pre-orders’ sub-section of the ‘Release Date’ section.

Fisker U.S. production

On August 18, 2022, Fisker announced that it is considering a second factory manufacturing the Ocean in the U.S. On October 17, 2022, the CEO told Bloomberg in an interview at the 2022 Paris Motor Show that U.S. production of the Ocean could start as early as 2024. As Fisker is unlikely to build a new factory so soon, it may rely on a contract manufacturer, like Magna Steyr or Foxconn.

Kurt Bachmaier, Vice President, Magna Steyr, has told Automobilwoche that the company wants to establish a production facility in the U.S. and is searching for a location for the same, the German publication reported on September 4, 2022. As for Foxconn, the Taiwanese company has an operational 6.2 million-square-foot vehicle manufacturing facility in Lordstown, Ohio, and it has already received a contract from Fisker to make an EV there from 2024 – the Pear.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has made imported electrified vehicles like the Ocean ineligible for the USD 7,500 federal tax credit (now renamed to Clean Vehicle Credit). This will compel all automakers in the mainstream EV segments to make locally, be it themselves or through a contract manufacturer.

In the interview with Fiskerati in August 2022 (watch on YouTube), Fisker talked about U.S. production. He revealed that the company is conducting some studies and has hired a Senior Vice President of Manufacturing. He said that the company is also considering outsourcing domestic production and looking at battery manufacturing partners in the U.S.

Release Date

Fisker Ocean deliveries have begun in Europe, and in the U.S., they will start in June 2023. EPA and CARB approvals are expected to completed in May 2023.

In an interview with Fiskerati, released on YouTube on April 14, 2023, Fisker said that his company is on target to finish delivering all the units of the Ocean One before September 2023 as per the original plan. He also said that the launch edition model is getting a new feature – a foldable cargo floor. Customers can fold it and hang three shopping bags on it and also get access to the tray underneath.

Fisker (the CEO) has said the California DMV sales license for the Ocean has been approved. Fisker will execute customer deliveries at its own “Center+” delivery locations, pop-up delivery sites, and also at home.

On December 21, 2022, Fisker revealed in a post on Instagram that Ocean shipments to the West Coast, California to be specific, have commenced. He shared a clip of what looked like a Night Drive (color) Ocean featuring the 22-inch F3a SlipStream wheels. Fisker showcased the Ocean in Las Vegas between January 4 and 7, 2023, at 305 Convention Center Drive, less than half a mile from the Las Vegas Convention Center, where CES 2023 was held during those days.

Fisker has five experience centers in the U.S., located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Miami. In Europe, the company has opened its regional office in Munich, Germany. It has a brand experience center in the same German city as well as London, Copenhagen, Vienna, Paris, and Oslo.

Reservations & orders

As of May 8, 2023, Fisker has received approximately 65,000 reservations and orders for the Ocean. In the interview with Fiskerati in August 2022, the CEO had said that the company is receiving over 100 reservations every day and that demand is increasing specifically in Europe. Fisker plans to deliver all the Ocean One units by September 2023.

According to a report Fiskerati published on March 13, 2023, Fisker has started locking builds, confirming orders, and sending the build numbers to hundreds of Ocean One customers. The company may begin accepting orders for the Ocean Extreme in the U.S. and European markets very soon.

Variant split

Fisker plans to build 5,000 units of the Ocean One. It expects to sell out capacity through most of 2023 because of a high-interest level in the Ocean One and Ocean Extreme.

Fisker will start manufacturing the Ocean Extreme after completing 5,000 Ocean One units. It will utilize any additional capacity to roll out Ocean Ultra and Ocean Sport units. However, seeing the high demand for the premium models, it doesn’t expect to begin Ocean Sport production until late 2023. Even in the best case, it expects to make the base model in modest volumes by late 2023 and ramp up in 2024. Fisker expects most of 2023’s production to be focused on premium trims, including the Ocean One and the Ocean Extreme, Gupta-Fisker said during the Q1 2022 earnings conference call.

Fisker Ocean in the U.S. & Scandinavia

Fisker told Autogefuhl that Scandinavia is one of the biggest markets for the Ocean. Given the cold weather in Scandinavian countries, the brand has introduced a complete winter package with features like a heated windshield and more.

Fisker also believes that the brand can sell more than 60,000 units in the U.S. alone, reiterating how important the American market is for the brand. The brand boss said in total, Fisker could sell up to 150,000 units of the Ocean globally in a year.

Fisker Ocean Price

Fisker Ocean variants	Fisker Ocean price (excluding federal grant)
Sport	USD 37,499
Ultra	USD 49,999
Extreme	USD 68,999
One (launch edition)	USD 68,999

In the U.S., the Fisker Ocean Sport starts at USD 37,499, excluding the federal tax credit. If the Ocean qualifies for the tax credit, it will begin at USD 29,999. The Ultra variant is priced at USD 49,999, while the Extreme variant costs USD 68,999. The Ocean One launch edition costs the same as the Extreme.

Fisker says it does not plan a price hike in 2023 but cannot guarantee that for the orders received after the 40,000 reservation number or vehicles made starting in 2024. What’s certain is that the Ocean is not going to get any cheaper.

According to a report Fiskerati published on January 22, 2023, Fisker (the Chairman and CEO) has ruled out lower pricing (in response to Tesla’s price cut) and said the company priced the Ocean extremely competitively from the beginning. Moreover, the Ocean has several features that aren’t available in any other model, he added, mentioning the solar roof, California mode, and the class-leading resolution of the touchscreen as examples.

Based on the first 30,000 reservations, 19% ordered the Sport, 38% took the Ultra, and 43% preferred the Extreme or the One. This implies an initial average selling price (ASP) of approximately USD 56,000, excluding options and delivery fees.

Finance options

Fisker has partnered with Chase to offer convenient finance options for the vehicle, factory-installed accessories, and other accessories (including home charging equipment) in the U.S. Customers can process the loan digitally by selecting their suitable finance structure, reviewing their financing details, and electronically signing documents online.

Warranty

The Fisker Ocean comes with a basic warranty of 6 years/60,000 miles. On top of this, Fisker offers a warranty of 10 years/100,000 miles for both the powertrain and battery pack. The company assures the battery pack of the Ocean will retain 75% of its original capacity during the warranty period.

Tesla and Rivian offer an 8-year/100,000-150,000-mile 8-year/175,000-mile warranty for the battery pack. However, the rival automakers assure only 70% of the original battery pack capacity during the warranty period. On the other hand, Toyota is targeting a range degradation of just 10% in 10 years (for the bZ4X).

5 things that set the Ocean apart, according to Henrik Fisker

Fisker told Bjorn Nyland at the Mobile World Congress that the Ocean needed at least 4 to 5 features that no other carmaker offers. The first unique feature is the Ocean’s range, which according to the Chairman & CEO, is the longest in its price class for any SUV or crossover. The Ocean offers a 630 km (WLTP) range on the Extreme and the Launch Edition variants. Other unique features include the solar roof, the rotating screen, torque vectoring, bidirectional charging, and the vegan interior.

Fisker also signed a deal with Foxconn to develop its next model in the U.S. and plans to erect multiple factories around the globe to enhance production to 250,000 EVs annually. In Fisker’s deal with Foxconn, the companies will work on the new model called the Fisker PEAR (Personal Electric Automotive Revolution) for the mass-market segment.

TopElectricSUV says

With its innovative features, a fine mix of futuristic design and classic SUV attributes, and an anxiety-free range, the Ocean seems to have what it takes to build a strong foundation for the brand. As the electric SUV race rapidly takes shape, the Ocean stands out as the wild card. It will be crucial for Fisker to get the quality spot on and ramp up production swiftly. With launches from all directions every few months, American customers are being treated to a constantly evolving selection of electric models.

Fisker Ocean FAQs

Featured image source: Fisker