CEO Henrik Fisker of startup electric automaker Fisker Inc. has been keeping reservation holders and the media apprised of his intent to keep Ocean EV production and deliveries on track as promised. Each time we get a new report, it seems the electric crossover will begin production on time, though now we've learned that Fisker aims to deliver EVs with key features missing, most of which are safety-related.
Being that Fisker is a startup automaker and its CEO has a storied past related to the segment, keeping reservation holders and the media happy by meeting timelines is arguably paramount. Fisker may not be able to afford to have its reputation tarnished by long delays.
That said, most automakers are currently dealing with delays, especially related to their electrified products. Moreover, other brands have had to deliver cars with certain parts or features temporarily missing or removed entirely. There's been a chip shortage and supply-chain constraints hanging over the industry ever since the COVID-19 pandemic shocked the world.
Gallery: Fisker Ocean Production Model
At any rate, Fisker says Ocean production will officially begin next week, on November 17, 2022, at the Magna Steyr assembly factory in Graz, Austria. The launch edition Ocean One will arrive for delivery without blind spot monitoring, lane keep assistance, and automatic high beams. However, the company says it will add the features very soon, in early 2023.
Other popular but less crucial features, such as cruise control, lane centering assist, and traffic jam assist won't come until at least late 2023. In addition, Fisker's Power Bank vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-vehicle charging technologies are still reportedly about two years out.
CEO Fisker made it clear that getting Ocean EVs into owners' driveways is key, and, regardless of the missing features, the crossovers will have multiple unique features that aren't available in rivals' models. He also added the over-the-air software updates will make adding features at a later date much more simple than it was in the past.
Fisker went on to highlight the Ocean's special features, including the solar roof, California mode, and Revolver. The solar roof can add up to 2,000 miles of range annually in the best conditions. California mode provides an instant "open-air" situation with the push of a button (rolling down all the windows and opening the solar roof). Revolver refers to the Ocean's 17.1-inch rotating display.
The CEO also claimed that the Ocean will have more range than any vehicle in its class, at an estimated 350 miles. Interestingly, CEO Fisker went on to say that he doesn't like cruise control, so perhaps many drivers won't be bothered by the missing advanced driver-assist systems. He shared:
"There's also, quite frankly, a lot of customers that may not care about it, so why wait to launch the vehicle? And you know you're going to maybe get it three months, six months, nine months later."
