LAS VEGAS—The Fisker Ocean is a new all-electric luxury SUV for the masses. With a $30,000 starting price after tax credits and packed with tech, the Ocean is the latest effort from automotive designer Henrik Fisker, and it's shaping up to be his most innovative yet.
Unveiled at CES, the Ocean is scheduled for its first deliveries in 2022. On the outside, it vaguely resembles a futuristic version of a Honda CRV. The most distinctive aspects are its squinty taillights and headlights, as well as its massive wheels and front grille.
"I wanted to put some of my design DNA in it, but still make it affordable," Fisker told us. Some of his best-known designs include the BMW Z8 and the Aston Martin DB9 sports cars.
On the inside, the Ocean proves itself to be a tech early adopter's paradise. In place of the center console, there's a giant screen that controls nearly all of the car's functions, from its sunroof to its autonomous driving functions. The screen curves at the bottom into a small console with just five physical toggle switches.
A head-up display projects speed and other vital driving information on the windshield, but you'll also be able to set it up to display song lyrics, perhaps for your budding attempts to start a karaoke carpool.
The all-electric Ocean will be able to achieve up to 300 miles of range using an 80-kilowatt-hour battery pack. A full-length solar roof supports the car's electric power source, which Fisker says can result in an additional 1,000 miles of range over the course of a year of driving.
Two radars—one for medium distances and one for short distances—combined with a few other sensors, make up the Ocean's self-driving system. Fisker isn't developing its own self-driving tech, but rather buying off-the-shelf mapping software from suppliers.
In fact, Fisker is relying on third-party OEM suppliers for many of the Ocean's major components. That's the opposite approach from Tesla's do-it-all-ourselves mantra. And it's clear that while the Ocean has its sights set squarely on the upcoming Tesla Model Y SUV, Fisker's fledgling company will also benefit from the pioneering automotive advances that Tesla has made, especially in relation to battery technology.
A Reputation to Overcome
After all, the Ocean has a reputation to overcome in the area of battery tech. It's Fisker's first major project since his failed Fisker Karma sports car, of which less than 2,000 were made until battery supplier issues forced the company into bankruptcy in 2012, less than a year after production started.
Fisker is confident that won't happen with the Ocean, though he's not ready to divulge the specifics of the battery technology in the car. That's partly because he's still seeking financing for the Ocean.
Assuming all goes well, Fisker does plan to follow at least one of Tesla's disruptive tactics: he wants to sell the Ocean directly to consumers, bypassing the complication of dealers. You'll be able to put your $250 deposit down, select options, and eventually schedule test drives and deliveries directly in the Fisker mobile app.
In states where direct-to-consumer car sales aren't allowed, Fisker plans to offer lease options starting at $379 per month with $3,000 down before delivery in 2022. By that time, production of the Tesla Model Y is also scheduled to be in full swing.
While the Fisker Karma is perhaps the coolest production-ready vehicle to be unveiled at CES this year, there were also plenty of concept cars, from the fully autonomous Audi AI:ME to the strange Avatar-inspired Mercedes-Benz Vision Avtr.