Ocean

Make
Fisker
Segment
SUV

Earlier this year, we found out that Fisker was cooking up an off-road version of its upcoming Ocean SUV, which is scheduled to launch next year. This was an unexpected move considering that electric vehicles are much more associated with on-road speed than tough off-road jaunts.

But it seems Fisker is continuing to set itself apart in this way as the brand is gearing up to compete in the Extreme E off-road racing series. Extreme E was created by the team that came up with Formula E, and the exciting concept is about showcasing electric SUVs and highlighting the devastating effects of climate change in some of the globe's most isolated environments.

Pumped-up electric SUVs will battle each other in extreme locations, spanning everything from arctic to desert terrains. Fisker is said to be in advanced talks for a series partnership with Extreme E.

The five-part racing series is slated to begin on 23 January in Dakar, Senegal, before moving on to locations like Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Greenland, and Brazil. Fisker shared three pictures of its entrants, one of which presumably started out as an Ocean SUV, but which has been dramatically modified to compete in Extreme E. Called the Force E - the same name as an off-road package unveiled earlier this year - it has giant off-road tires, a raised suspension, and a row of spotlights. It's hard to believe that underneath it all, whirs a silent electric powertrain. The only nod to the Ocean are the similarly designed headlights.

"Creating the world's most sustainable racing series is the perfect launch platform for their new Ocean SUV, as well as providing a challenging testing environment for product durability," said CEO of Extreme E, Alejandro Agag, when commenting on Fisker's participation.

Henrik Fisker was just as thrilled about the event. "Alejandro brought electric vehicle racing into the mainstream with Formula E and I fully support his vision to reinvent off-road racing at the same time as creating an education platform for the threats posed by climate change," he said.

Fisker is positioned to be the first manufacturer to enter the series, and it'll be interesting to see what it will go up against. Perhaps a rally version of the Ford Mustang Mach-E or the Tesla Model Y would provide Fisker with strong competition? Either way, Extreme E is guaranteed to showcase electrified vehicles as we've never seen them before.