A brighter future for Fisker Ocean

When Fisker Inc. and the Norwegian importer went bankrupt, my advice would be to stay away from these cars. Today, the situation looks brighter. The Fisker Ocean is not a car for everyone, but for some it may be worth a closer look.

Think about what car founders like Carl Benz, Henry Ford, and André Citroën have meant to the development of the car. Without visionary car creators, cars might not have looked the way they do today. Although today's car production is not as closely tied to individuals, there are exceptions. Elon Musk and Henrik Fisker have both created cars that have left their mark on automotive history.
 

Henrik Fisker made headlines in 2010 with his Fisker Karma – a sporty electric car with 4 doors and a “range extender”. It was ahead of its time, but was not a commercial success. Twelve years later, Fisker presented a completely new model – Fisker ocean. It was also a fantastic car with a long range, advanced technical solutions and a cool design. It signaled a harmonious, carefree existence in harmony with California's beautiful nature.
 

Fisker ocean

In Norway you could buy the most affordable variant in terms of equipment level Sports at the same price as Tesla's entry-level model. Fisker's models with dual motors and 4-wheel drive were the most popular. True lifestyle cars with OpenSky sliding panoramic glass roof, Power Liftgate Window where the rear window is lowered, small Doggie Windows on the sides where four-legged friends can get fresh air while driving, and more. In California Mode all the windows can be opened with the push of a button. The top model Extreme has solar panels in the panoramic roof.
 
There are currently 432 registered cars in Norway in the vehicle register, of which 3 have been scrapped for unknown reasons. When production was shut down, around 11.000 cars had been produced, but fewer than 5000 cars were delivered to ordinary customers. The majority of the remaining cars were sold to the leasing company. American Lease in New York, where they are currently part of a car-sharing concept. According to an article in Bloomberg.com The cars work well. The rental company carries out the maintenance itself.
 

Not perfect

Like other new car models, some faults tend to occur during the first year of production. From online discussion groups, it seems that most faults are related to the 12-volt battery. When the 12-volt battery discharges, the high-voltage battery can also lose power over time. If the car is completely without power – “bricked” – it may need to be revived in a specific charging pattern. Annoying – but not fatal.
 
Like many other cars, errors can often be fixed via varying degrees of reset operations.

Recalls

After the cars started hitting the road, there were several recalls from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). That's not unusual either, but they put a financial strain on Fisker Inc. at a critical stage. It was a contributing factor to the bankruptcy.
 

• Folding door handles did not fold out.
• A failure in a water pump could cause the battery management system to go into "limp" mode.
• The cars could start rolling while the parking brake was active.
• Loss of engine power due to engine management system failure.

 
Fisker Inc. only managed to fix errors that could be fixed by software update ("over the air"), not those that had to be handled in a workshop. The errors must be located and described so that they are - or have been - possible to repair afterwards.
 

Better than expected

After the bankruptcy, many feared that the cars would no longer be drivable. There was particular skepticism about the software. What about access to spare parts? Would there be workshops to repair the cars?
 
Today, almost 2 years after the bankruptcy, the cars are still rolling. Several thousand owners have formed their own international group to find solutions and share practical experiences related to the cars. The car-sharing company American Leasing has also contributed.
 
There are spare parts from dismantled cars as well as newly manufactured parts from Chinese manufacturers. Perhaps parts from production at Magna Steyr in Austria and possible subcontractors will appear?
 
There are also workshops that accept Fisker, such as some Mekonomen workshops. AutoIn Car Damage has body parts and can fix damage.
 
See links at the bottom of the post.
 
The app OceanLink Pro Among other things, it allows for a key on your mobile phone and reading diagnostics (requires OBDII dongle). OV Loop offers onboard internet access connected to Fisker Ocean's cloud-based server. It is now also possible to update the cars' software. Previously, you could only connect to the internet via mobile hotspot for streaming and browsing.
 
The future looks brighter today than it did when Fisker Inc. went bankrupt. New access to parts and services is filling the gaps left by the disappearance of the manufacturer and importer. But even though things look brighter, Fisker owners may face greater challenges than owners of other car brands.
 
One of the problems is that you can only buy liability insurance for the cars. No companies offer comprehensive insurance. Then you can't put the car up for a loan. Several used car dealers also don't want to give a guarantee on the cars. For the same reason, they don't want to sell to private buyers because of the Consumer Purchase Act. These things reduce the demand for these cars.
 

Reduced demand means lower prices. What is a Fisker Ocean really worth?
 
In the Tax Administration's lists of car prices for 2023 we find the following:
 

• Kr 394.196 Fisker Ocean Sport
• Kr 536.681 Fisker Ocean Ultra
• Kr 599.000 Fisker Ocean Extreme

 
There are currently 6 well-equipped 2023 models with low mileage for sale on Finn.no. The prices quoted are between 248.000 and 300.000 kroner – about half of what they cost when new. The prices are lower than popular car models in the same price range, but still within what is considered normal loss of value. Although the situation of the cars looks brighter, the circumstances surrounding the car brand are so special that one cannot use normal calculations for residual value.
 
If you buy a Fisker Ocean, you should be aware of the following:
 
It is a security for you if the car already has one of the new software updates, 2.5 or 2.6. Check the last 6 digits of the car's VIN number. The production number is around 11000 cars. A high serial number is probably better than a low one. The first cars will be submitted for EU inspection during 2027. Therefore, check especially for warning lights and error codes. Check that the headlight lenses and panoramic roof are not damaged.
 
As a buyer, you have to accept a financial risk. Without vehicle damage insurance, you may be left with no compensation if your car is damaged without a known perpetrator. You may risk having your car left for a long time waiting for spare parts (a risk shared with owners of other car brands). You may also risk having to pay more than owners of other car brands for, among other things, spare parts, troubleshooting and repairs. Last but not least, Fisker Ocean owners are required to be more than average involved in their car and its maintenance.
 
You could say that this is not an "A4 car" – for better or worse.
 

Facts Fisker One AWD

See

AutoIn Car Damage
Fiskershop.eu – spare parts
Fisherman Owners Association
Norwegian Facebook group
International forum page
Fisherman-service.com
Ocean.OVLoop.com – connected services