First look at Fisker Ocean, the electric SUV taking on Tesla for under $40,000
We finally got a close look at the Fisker Ocean, the electric SUV that could give Tesla some competition. The company let reporters see a prototype Monday at CES in Las Vegas.
It features something called California mode, recycled materials, a solar roof, and up to 300 miles of range on a single battery charge.
Not much is expected to change from what was on the show floor when early buyers get the cars delivered, possibly as early as 2022. Reservation holders got the first peek at a Los Angeles event Sunday.
The car was then shipped to Las Vegas, where Fisker founder Henrik Fisker gave us a tour of the $37,499 vehicle (a $7,500 federal tax credit will bring it down to $29,999). Tesla's SUV, the Model X, starts at $81,000, but a more affordable Tesla compact SUV, the Model Y, is coming in 2021 for about $40,000. Funny timing.
But the Model Y already made its debut last year. Now it's the Fisker Ocean's turn. Let's take a look.
All nine windows, including the roof can open at once to give the car a convertible feel called California mode.
"It's about having fun and utility at the same time," Fisker told us.
The solar panel roof is expect to generate enough energy from the sun to give the car an extra 1,000 miles of battery power a year. It's nothing huge, but it's another way to make the car feel more sustainable.
Inside, the carpets are made from recycled plastic found on beaches and from washed-up fishing nets. The suede is also an eco-friendly material, making the entire interior vegan. The car was named Ocean after Fisker went to some beach cleanups and was appalled at the amount of plastic that had washed up on shore.
So he wanted to make an all-electric, zero-emission vehicle he considered more sustainable than the rest, at an affordable price. His previous electric car efforts were high-end luxury sports cars. That didn't work out so well, but now he's going after the eco-conscious crowd that still wants the spaciousness and utility of a compact SUV.
Fisker aims to produce a high-volume vehicle that can be an everyday car, not a specialty product.
It has some Tesla vibes, but it's definitely its own thing with a unique design inside and out. Fisker even says it will be able to display karaoke lyrics on the windshield while you drive.
Next step: Making more than one of these cars.
Topics CES Electric Vehicles
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
