- American automaker Fisker has debuted its all-electric SUV ‘Ocean’ with a solar roof for $37,499 – considerably cheaper than Tesla’s Model X SUV which goes for $84,990.
- The interior of the vehicle is fully vegan and made of mostly recycled materials, including abandoned fish nets, plastic bottles, and T-shirts.
- The car will be closely tied with the Fisker app and will allow drivers to pay for their vehicle, book service appointments, and potentially set up rideshares and carpooling in the future.
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American automaker Fisker has debuted its all-electric SUV, Ocean, which comes with a solar roof.
It will go for $37,499 – cheaper than Tesla’s Model X SUV for $84,990.
Ocean – which the automaker claims is the “world’s most sustainable vehicle” – was unveiled at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The car starts at $37,499 but drops to $29,999 after US federal tax credit, according to the automaker. It can now be reserved with a $250 deposit.
Fisker’s CEO Henrik Fisker claims the company is the world’s first “all-digital car company.” The car will be synced to an app that allows owners to manage actions such as car payments and maintenance scheduling and display vehicle information, In the future, Fisker plans on integrating options such as carpooling and ride-hailing into the app.
"Our mission is to become the [number one] e-mobility service provider on Earth, featuring the world's most desirable and sustainable vehicles while shaking up the old automotive industry model - from the way a customer attains a vehicle, chooses affordable insurance, services a vehicle to the overall mobility experience," Fisker said in a statement.
Ocean has multiple components that were optimized to be environmentally friendly. Unlike many cars currently in the market, Ocean will have a fully vegan interior with parts made of recycled products. Fisker has also partnered with Electrify America - which owns one of the largest networks of electric vehicle charging stations in the US - to make charging the Ocean on-the-go more accessible.
In line with its uniqueness, Ocean will also have different "modes" not found in other vehicles. This includes a karaoke feature that syncs the display with the Fisker Flexee app, and a California mode that lowers nine glass windows and panels, including the rear quarter windows, with one button. The automaker claims the latter mode creates "an open-air feeling, while still maintaining a full 'roll cage' safety structure around the passengers."
Manufacturing will take place in the US, Europe, and China, and the EV maker will also be unveiling two more vehicles during the coming year.
The vehicle has a full-length solar roof that provides 1,000 miles of power in a year.
The solar roof provides energy to the electric power source, as well as increasing the vehicle's efficiency while decreasing its charging needs.
Fisker will pick up and return vehicles when it needs maintenance so customers don't have to bring it in to service.
The carpeting is made of recycled nylon created from fishing net waste found in the ocean.
The interior is fully vegan and Fisker claims it meets chemical emission limits for different volatile organic compounds.
This includes the eco-suede, which is made of recycled plastic, bottles, and polyester fibers from items like T-shirts. It also repurposes and uses its extra rubber waste from tire manufacturing.
"Eco-sustainability, as well as the lowest levels of polluting emissions and energy consumption, are guaranteed throughout the whole production cycle," Fisker claims. The automaker claims using recycled materials allows the company to reduce its emissions by 80%.
Production is set to begin at the end of 2021 with deliveries beginning in 2022. Fisker projects over one million vehicles will be made from 2022 to 2027.
