Fisker announced in its quarterly financial results update this week that the business is considering selling emissions credits and sharing its electric vehicle platforms with other automakers.
According to the final bullet point in a press statement summarising Fisker’s Q3 performance, “Fisker has begun exploratory negotiations with significant global OEMs and businesses to consider sharing both Ocean and Pear platforms, collaborative U.S. manufacture, and future sales of emissions credits.”
When the average fuel economy of their fleet falls short of government standards, full-line automakers buy emissions credits to make up the difference. This is especially true of companies that continue to produce numerous huge, fuel-hungry trucks. By focusing only on producing EVs with zero “tailpipe” emissions, manufacturers can amass a surplus of credits, which they can then sell to car companies seeking to avoid fines.
For the time being, at least, Tesla has proven that trading in these credits may be lucrative. Stellantis’s predecessor, FCA, said last year that it wouldn’t need Tesla emissions credits in order to transition to plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, making FCA Tesla’s largest customer.
In contrast to the projected licensing platforms for the Ocean SUV and Pear, Fisker might follow Tesla’s lead and sell emissions credits. Customer deliveries of the Ocean are expected to begin in 2023, followed by the Pear in 2024.
As a company, Fisker has always adopted what it calls an “asset light” strategy, which entails relying on third parties for some or all of the platform development. Consequently, Fisker’s decision to shop around for these automobiles is indicative of the value it places on them.
Magna provided substantial funding for the Ocean, and it will be assembled in an Austrian facility owned by the business. For 2023, the first full year of planned production, Fisker cited a revised manufacturing goal of 42,400 Oceans. According to the firm’s projections, Q1 will see sales of over 300 models, Q2 will see sales of over 8,000, Q3 will see sales of over 15,000, and Q4 will see the remaining sales.
In addition, as of October 31, 2022, Fisker reported receiving over 62,000 ocean reservations. While the cancellation of reservations for the base Sport and Ultra models undoubtedly contributed to Fisker’s claim of a “double-digit increase in premium trim configurations in recent months,” the firm maintained that it had seen “significant growth” in the premium segment. It’s already too late to get your hands on one of the limited-edition Fisker Ocean Ones that were released earlier this year.
Ahead of the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRBA) severe reductions in the number of qualified EVs, Fisker sought to consolidate early sales of the Ocean in August.
General Motors’ former Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant, now owned by Foxconn, is where the Pear will go into production in 2024. The extent to which Fisker’s EV is built on Foxconn’s platform remains unknown. Before unveiling the Pear’s primary specifications, Fisker began accepting reservations at a starting price of $29,900. According to Fisker’s latest announcement, a prototype that can be driven will be available by the end of the month.
About Fisker:
Henrik Fisker and his wife Geeta Gupta-Fisker started the American car company Fisker Inc. the company that took over from Fisker Automotive, which made the Fisker Karma. It was founded in 2016 and is based in Southern California.
Fisker has made a lot of high-end cars, like the Aston Martin DB9 and V8 Vantage, the Artega GT, and the BMW Z8. He was also the director of design and a member of the board at Aston Martin.
