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Henrik Fisker, what are you drawing?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Videos, Fisker, Design/Style, Electric

"Cars have become an appliance... And on top of that, you start feeling a bit guilty about driving a car, because it pollutes, you use a lot of gasoline." These are the words of Henrik Fisker, car designer and the man who startes his own automobile company which currently builds and sells the extended-range electric Karma sedan.

"Why do electric cars, or small fuel-efficient cars, always have to look dorky? Why can't we make a beautiful, gorgeous car?" Well, if you're the man who penned the BMW Z8 and a couple of show-stopping Aston Martin coupes, you don't have to design a dorky EV. Which explains the sleek lines of the aforementioned Karma and upcoming Fisker Atlantic.

Will Fisker ultimately succeed in establishing a viable automaker that continues to build cars well into the future? Only time will tell. Either way, we have to admire Henrik's bravado. "The doubters out there, they are rarely the builders. And those who are the skeptics, are never really the inventors... There are a lot of us out there who believe that dreams are possible."

Those parting words are spoken as Henrik Fisker lays out what appears to be a two-door sports car with a low-slung profile that would seemingly mesh quite well with the rest of Fisker's slinky but eco-conscious machinery. Scroll down below to watch the video, which was shot during his TED talk at Chapman University.

Continue reading Henrik Fisker, what are you drawing?

Henrik Fisker, what are you drawing? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fisker loan spurs more questions from senators

Danny King — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Fisker, Electric

Um, about that $337 million.

Fisker Automotive and its pending federal government loan has spurred a letter from two U.S. senators to Energy Secretary Steven Chu questioning the appropriateness of the loan, The Detroit News reports.

In their letter to Chu, senators John Thune (R-South Dakota) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) reportedly question the $529 million loan in part because of Qatar's ownership stake in the plug-in hybrid automaker. The senators also inquired about the loan earmarked for Fisker partner A123 Systems, the company whose batteries have been subject to a recall.

Fisker spokesman Roger Ormisher tells The Detroit News that the company is staying out of politics and focusing on creating U.S. jobs. California-based Fisker was granted the loan in 2010 but has drawn down just $193 million to date.

Energy Department spokesman Damien LaVera argues the loan was an appropriate part of the federal government's effort to help boost fleetwide fuel economy and said Fisker's delays are "common for start-ups," according to the report.

Last week, Fisker debuted its first national advertising campaign in a multi-page Wall Street Journal ad that included a statement from company founder Henrik Fisker proclaiming that the automaker has "set out to redefine and reshape how the world thinks about cars." Fisker also recently widened its European distribution network.

Upon securing the original loan grant, Fisker was slated to hire 2,000 people at a Delaware factory that was formerly run by General Motors. Production of the Fisker Atlantic shown above, which was originally scheduled to be produced at the Delaware plant, has been delayed until at least 2014.

Fisker loan spurs more questions from senators originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked Fisker Atlantic documents reveal big production delay, specs

Autoblog Staff — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Fisker, Electric, Luxury

The Fisker Atlantic extended-range plug-in vehicle will start production about a year after its previously estimated mid-2013 date, Inside EVs blog reports, citing leaked company documents that were dated "a few weeks ago."

The Atlantic, formerly known as Project Nina, will compete pricewise against the BMW 3 Series and 5 Series sedans, as well as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class, Jaguar XF and Audi A4 and A6. That would put the model in the $50,000 to $60,000 range, according to the publication. The model, which will still be produced at Fisker's Delaware plant, will have 300 horsepower, a 0-60 time of 6.5 seconds and emissions of 50 grams per kilometer of CO2, Inside EVs reports, citing the documents.

"As these documents are obviously leaked investor documents and highly confidential, I am not prepared to comment any further," a Fisker representative tells Autoblog sister site, AutoblogGreen.

The status of the Atlantic has been in question since plans for the former General Motors plant in Delaware were put on hold once the U.S. Department of Energy froze most of the $529 million in loans earmarked for the California-based company.

Fisker unveiled the Atlantic at the New York Auto Show last month, saying that the car's price tag would be "a much lower price point" than Fisker's Karma sedan.

Leaked Fisker Atlantic documents reveal big production delay, specs originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 May 2012 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ex-Fisker chair blames Mitt Romney attacks for DOE loan hold-up

Autoblog Staff — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials, Fisker, Electric, Luxury

Ah, election season...

Former Fisker Automotive Chairman and current investor Ray Lane is blaming Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for the delays in procuring federal loans that have been earmarked for the maker of the extended-range plug-in Karma and the upcoming Atlantic, according to Delaware Online.

In an e-mail, Lane said Romney is mistakenly grouping the Fisker loan from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with money given to failed companies like solar-panel producer Solyndra. Lane, managing director at venture-capital company Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, said in the alleged e-mail that he's planning to contact Romney, whose father George Romney was once president of American Motors Corp.

The Fisker issue is particularly acute in Delaware, where the automaker had planned to expand employment and build a production version of the Atlantic sedan (a.k.a. Project Nina) shown above at a former General Motors factory. Those plans have been put on hold as Fisker sorts out its financial situation. Delaware Online reported late last week that Fisker had laid off 12 more workers at the factory, which was characterized as "absolutely empty."

The company was set to receive $529 million in federal loans but has only received a fraction of that and hasn't received funding since last year.

Ex-Fisker chair blames Mitt Romney attacks for DOE loan hold-up originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More layoffs at Fisker; Delaware plant is 'absolutely empty'

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Performance, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, Earnings/Financials, Fisker, Electric, Luxury

Last we heard, Fisker Automotive was still "committed" to building the recently revealed Atlantic sedan at the former General Motors plant in Delaware. A few years ago, Fisker announced that site would be the company's new domestic production home (the Fisker Karma extended-range plug-in hybrid is made by Valmet in Finland). Still, Fisker did say that any definitive statement on the Atlantic's production location would not come until the end of the summer.

So we were interested to read new reports from local media that show more signs that the Atlantic might not ever be built in Delaware. On Friday, Delaware Online reports, 12 more workers - including engineers and maintenance technicians - were laid off at the plant, leaving "only a small maintenance team" left there. One of those let go was Jeff Garland, who had been working on community affairs and business development efforts in Delaware. He said the plant is currently "absolutely empty." This is because Fisker has taken out the old GM equipment but has not yet installed the machines it would need to build the Atlantic. As Garland told Delaware Online, "I think what happened was the budget numbers are so tight right now and they're working so hard to preserve as much cash as they can that something had to give. We're not making a car in Wilmington right now, so given that situation it was an obvious place to make a cut."

Fisker spokesman Russell Datz said that the company has flexible plans and will hire people when "we ramp up the project again." Production of the Atlantic is being delayed, at least in part, because of issues with Fisker's Department of Energy loan. You can read more about that here.

In related news, some of the components that Fisker and Ford will use in hybrid and all-electric cars are now being made by Magna E-Car Systems in Michigan. The inverters Magna makes are used in the Karma and this new production does not in any way predict a shift of Atlantic production to Michigan.

More layoffs at Fisker; Delaware plant is 'absolutely empty' originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fisker may change plans on Delaware production, details Karma troubles

Autoblog Staff — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Hatchback, Earnings/Financials, Fisker

Fisker Automotive may drop plans to use a Delaware factory to build its upcoming Atlantic sedan and is looking at "other options," Automotive News reports, citing an interview with company CEO Tom LaSorda. The company, in an online meeting with owners of the Fisker Karma extended-range plug-in sedan, spelled out some of the issues that have been plaguing the car.

Fisker will hold off on deciding on the Atlantic's production site until the end of summer, which will delay the model's debut. LaSorda maintains that Fisker will be able to produce the Atlantic with or without Department of Energy funding, according to Automotive News. Fisker's director of corporate communications, Russell Datz, tells AutoblogGreen that the company remains "committed to Delaware" but admits that if the rest of the company's DOE loan money does not come through, the plan to build the Atlantic in Delaware could change.

Follow the jump to continue reading...

Continue reading Fisker may change plans on Delaware production, details Karma troubles

Fisker may change plans on Delaware production, details Karma troubles originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Apr 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fisker Atlantic revealed, promises to be available to mortals someday [w/video]

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 22:31:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Hybrid, Hatchback, Fisker, Electric

Overheard at the reveal event for the Fisker Atlantic this evening: This is the car you buy your secretary.

Yes, the altogether good-looking Atlantic sets a new high for plug-in hybrid looks, and even though Fisker is tight-lipped about things like all-electric range, cost or an estimated delivery date, for now the car speaks for itself. All anyone would tell us is that the Atlantic will come in at "a much lower price point than the Karma," as Fisker executive chairman Henrik Fisker put it, suggesting something in the range of the Audi A5 or "the upper end of the BMW 3 Series." So, $45,000? In any case, Fisker seems to have learned its lesson with the Karma situation/delay, and is keeping mum about its future plans.

One thing Fisker was very happy to talk about was that the Atlantic is a car that will be built and will go into production. It is "a promise we are going to deliver," he said.

Whenever the Atlantic arrives, it is most likely going to be incredibly similar to what we see in the pictures here (and in recent spy shots). Fisker said that his company does not do concepts - see how little the Karma changed between auto show reveal and showroom. And that's fine by us. The lines and angles of the little Karma might be too busy for some, but in person they most certainly work. One thing to note is that in person the headlights have a frozen/frosted look that offers an 'eagle eye' with a strength of strong character not seen on a production car before," the Fisker press release says.

Despite the off-hand suggestion from the peanut gallery that this is a car for those with a bit of money to throw around, Fisker repeatedly emphasized the practicality of the Atlantic. For one thing, it will have the second-generation EVer (Electric Vehicle with extended range) powertrain that incorporates a BMW four-cylinder gasoline engine, because, Fisker said, "range equals freedom." He also showed the gathered media how the rear seats fold down and called it "a pure family vehicle." Must be nice to be in that family.

Continue reading Fisker Atlantic revealed, promises to be available to mortals someday [w/video]

Fisker Atlantic revealed, promises to be available to mortals someday [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 22:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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