- Fisker considers expanding Ocean production in Graz, Austria, in 2024, amid reported high demand for the electric SUV.
- The Ocean is headed into production later this fall at the Magna Steyr plant in Europe, with 5000 units of the Fisker Ocean One debut model going first.
- Fisker says it has 58,000 reservations for the electric SUV, which will offer a range of up to 350 miles in top trim.
Fisker hasn't even started series production of the Ocean electric SUV, but it's already considering boosting the planned output in 2024 up from 50,000 units per year, as a result of strong interest from EV buyers.
The Ocean is due to enter production later this quarter in Austria, where it will be built under contract by Magna Steyr, with the first 5000 units of the limited Ocean One having sold out long ago, in addition to having 58,000 reservations for the two-row electric sport utility. Moreover, the company says that potential binding orders for the mid-level Fisker Ocean Ultra and the Ocean Sport base model have also sold out for the 2023 model year.
"The enthusiasm we're seeing worldwide for the Fisker Ocean is nothing short of humbling. With our partners at Magna, test vehicles are rolling off the line at the carbon-neutral manufacturing plant in Graz, where we are working diligently on expanding production numbers beyond the current projection of 50,000 units per year," said CEO and Chairman Henrik Fisker.
Earlier this month the EV maker reported completing the first 55 prototypes for validation and testing in Michigan, with more prototypes on the way ahead of the start of production this fall.
The SUV will offer a range of up to 350 miles in the top Ocean Extreme trim, in addition to a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive layout, and a 17.1-inch screen. The top trim will land just under the $70,000 mark, prior to any incentives, but the base trim will be less pricey, starting at $37,499.
It's worth noting that Magna will start building the Ocean just as energy costs in Europe are expected to spike even further, due to cutbacks in the export of natural gas, with some industry watchers predicting a bleak winter for Europe's manufacturing sector. Fisker and Magna are also facing other industry-wide pressures at the moment, including the ongoing chip crisis. As such, it may indeed be a feat if Fisker manages to get through the first six months of production without price hikes.
"We are also exploring expanding operations to meet this growing demand, including considering manufacturing in the United States," Fisker added. "And with our disciplined spending, strong cash position, extraordinary operational flexibility, strong relationships with our suppliers, and a diversified, high line-of-sight potential revenue stream for the first year, we're full speed ahead on all fronts."
That US production could take place in Ohio, where Fisker and Foxconn are planning to build the automaker's next model, which will be the budget-minded Fisker Pear. The arrival of new federal EV tax incentives that reward US-produced components would certainly be a motivating factor for Ocean buyers down the road, as for the moment Fisker is in the same boat as German EV manufacturers that don't build EVs stateside. The federal tax incentives are perhaps a more pressing factor for the planned Pear EV, which will be priced far below the Ocean.
