There's been quite some excitement around Fisker's new Ocean electric SUV - and we got a close-up glimpse of it at CES 2020, even if we weren't allowed to step on the platform it stood on.
What's a little different about Fisker is that their whole interaction with a customer will be digital; it won't have dealerships in the traditional sense, though it says people can visit "experience centres" to see the car.
Otherwise, everything will be done through the company's iOS and Android apps or its website. You can also reserve your vehicle now with a deposit of $250.
The vehicle costs $37,499 and is set to begin production in late 2021, although it won't be available in volume until 2022. There's also lease-purchase and full-finance options.
As with Tesla, much of the after-sales maintenance and servicing will also be taken care off via the app - with the company picking up and dropping off the vehicle.
A radical new service and maintenance experience: Fisker customers will never have to take their vehicles to service on their own, as Fisker will pick up and return vehicles when maintenance is required, or service is requested – signalled by the onboard system or through the mobile app.
Design and features
The vehicle has a bunch of clever features including the ability to lower all the windows simultaneously - even the rear quarter-lights and the rear window - nine windows in all. Fisker calls this "California Mode" and says it has been patented.
The company points out that not only does it give you an open-air feel, but that it could be useful if you wanted to stick long items out of the rear of the tailgate.
Like the Range Rover Velar, there are pop-out door handles, with an illuminated strip so you can find them in the dark.
The instrument cluster remains something of a mystery for now - especially as we couldn't get close to it - but there's a heads-up display alongside two touchscreens, a 16-inch tablet with haptic touch for the main menus plus a 9.8-inch screen instead of the instrument cluster.
Fisker says there will be "augmented reality features" though there is no indication as to what these will be - and we can't really think how that would work in practice.
The Ocean is around 4.6m in length, which creates the space for 566 litres (20 cubic feet) of space behind the rear seats for carrying stuff and that's doubled with the seats folded down.
Power and charging
Apart from the base model, all configurations will have four-wheel-drive. As you can see here, there are 20-inch wheels, although there will be a 22-inch option, too.
Power output for the main models is set to be 225 kilowatts (upwards of 300 horsepower) and a 0-60 time of less than three seconds is Fisker's target, although it says it will release more details on this as we get closer to release.
The vehicle is equipped with Fisker's own Flexible Solid-State Battery with +80 kWh capacity and a range of up to 300 miles. It'll come with a CCS Type 2 Combo plug for fast charging (200 miles from 30 minutes).
In the US and Canada, Fisker vehicles will be automatically recognised by Electrify America 150kW charging stations which while charge the Oceam at a rate of about 20 miles of range per minute of charge. Fisker also says it'll offer a set number of miles with each vehicle and will update on that at a later time.
Some models will also have a full solar roof which Fisker believes can contribute around 1,000 miles a year - presumably depending on where you live.
Indeed, Fisker is seeking to position the vehicle as the "world’s most sustainable" with fully-recycled carpets made from old fishing nets plus a vegan interior and other recycled parts. It's also talking about ensuring the lowest amount of pollution possible from the manufacturing process and reusing offcuts of materials like rubber.
We'll bring you more information on the upcoming Ocean SUV as we get it.
