Fisker has hit somewhat of a milestone on the road to mass production, with the first batch of electric Ocean SUVs finally leaving Magna Steyr's factory in Austria. 95 examples have been produced so far, but these first units won't be heading to customers. Instead, the prototypes will be pressed into duty for promotional and marketing purposes.
For example, some will be tasked as show vehicles throughout Fisker's nine markets, while others will be used to train service technicians. Company founder Henrik Fisker was on hand to inspect the early models and came away impressed. "It's fantastic to see the quality of the Fisker Oceans currently being manufactured, and to also see them incrementally improving on every visit," he said.
In the meantime, the California-based company continues to build its retail network. Los Angeles and Munich will be two of the first locations to have a Fisker Lounge and will soon be followed by other key cities across the world. Fisker Center+ locations will also pop up in other regions, including Copenhagen and Vienna.
Future Fisker customers will benefit from several advantages. Aside from an "industry-leading warranty," Ocean owners will be supported by service centers with a mobile option, bringing the technician to the car instead of the other way around.
Excited customers won't have to wait much longer now. Official production is expected to kick off on 17 November, with deliveries expected to kick off shortly thereafter.
Fisker's got a big job ahead. Unexpectedly strong demand might force the automaker to increase production in 2024. At the time, the company has 58,000 reservations and expects this number to go grow to 80,000 by year-end. The range-topping One Launch Edition - of which only 5,000 will be made - has already sold out, despite the hefty price tag.
As a reminder, four trim levels will be made available; the One, Extreme, Ultra, and Sport. According to Fisker, the plusher models will be capable of traveling 350 miles on a single charge. Aside from this, they're also packed full of glitzy features, such as the SolarSky roof and the rather brilliant rotating infotainment screen. Of course, this comes at a price - $68,999, to be exact.
Cheaper models are, of course, available, In fact, Fisker has said the range will kick off at a rather affordable $37,499, which will undercut rivals from Tesla and Ford by a considerable margin. If that's still too rich for your blood, you'll be pleased to know that the automaker is also readying a more compact alternative, known as the Pear.
The automaker is promising a sub-$30,000 price tag (before incentives) which means America will finally get a truly affordable electric vehicle. Despite the bargain cost price, it appears to sport a rather ritzy interior. Whether or not the lovely detailing makes it into the production car remains to be seen, but if Fisker can commit to the low price, it will have a winner.