by Baron Wilton
posted on April 9, 2024
Fisker’s first splash in the SUV segment
If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Fisker is back, baby, and the eco-focused brand’s second launch has been making waves in EV headlines with its new model, the Ocean, in addition to a bit of a financial crisis for the business recently. The Ocean is a handsome, mid-sized SUV built with California love and boasting competitive performance metrics. But is the Ocean impressive enough to keep the SoCal company afloat while it prepares an electric fleet for the future? Let’s dive into Ali’s Fisker Ocean One Launch Edition in Santa Clara — one of the first Oceans to hit the streets.
This may be your first time hearing of the brand, Fisker, but this is actually the second time the brand has launched. Fisker first entered the market in 2011, before Tesla’s Model S, with the Karma sports car: a plug-in hybrid coupe with over 400 horsepower and an eye-catching design. With fewer than 2,500 examples ever sold, the Karma was so rare that it seemed as if Justin Bieber’s famous chrome Karma was the only time any of us saw the car. The brand was plagued with a swarm of supply chain obstacles and a consumer market expecting more from a $100k+ car. So Fisker sold the Karma name to a Chinese manufacturer, now proudly named Karma Automotive, and Fisker went back to the drawing board.
Fast forward to today, and we have the new Ocean, a perfectly imperfect SUV with seriously cool features. Ali’s Ocean is a limited-edition trim (one of 5,000) with 564 horsepower from two electric motors, a blistering zero-to-60 mph acceleration time of 3.7 seconds, and a very respectable 360 miles of range. Yet, this incredibly quick acceleration time comes through the Boost launch control feature that is strangely limited to 500 uses.
The Ocean can charge its battery 80% in 30 minutes, an industry standard, and has three driving modes to set the mood. This exclusive One trim also introduces attractive matte blue paint, blue interior accents to match, and commemorative badging.
Walking around the Ocean, you can’t miss Fisker’s signature solar panel roof named the SolarSky. Although the panel effectively blocks any visibility through the car’s expansive panoramic roof, it generates up to 1,500 annual miles of free electricity and is an eye-catching statement piece for onlookers. Another cool feature of the Ocean is California mode, which rolls down all of the windows simultaneously, including the rear window in the trunk. This adds extra room for skis or surfboards that may not normally fit with the rear window closed.
You’ll also appreciate modern conveniences like autonomous self-parking, a surround sound system, a massive rotating front touchscreen, and even a separate touchscreen in the second row to control climate and comfort. The Ocean is outfitted in eco-friendly materials like recycled carpet mats and synthetic high-performance Ultrasuede to reduce its carbon footprint in all aspects. But this incredible attention to detail has not been fully extended to the car’s infotainment technology.
No product launch goes completely smoothly and avoids bugs altogether. The newly relaunched Fisker is no exception, as some Ocean drivers have reported inconsistent cruise control, bluetooth, and backup camera performance. The Ocean’s imperfections reflect the substantial obstacles new automotive brands face when entering the competitive market, and Fisker continues to make over-the-air updates to every Ocean produced to keep the car operating at its best. And notably, Fisker has been in the news in recent weeks for potentially facing bankruptcy (again) — underscoring the difficulties of entering the EV market as a startup brand.
The Ocean is one of the newest and hottest toys in the EV segment. With an attractive, sleek silhouette and a novel Fisker emblem, Ali’s Ocean is an instant conversation starter and sure to impress on California roads filled with ubiquitous white Teslas. Whether or not Fisker is here to stay, booking the Ocean is an opportunity to drive a unique piece of automotive history.
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Baron Wilton
Baron is a walking encyclopedia of car facts. His favorite sport is behind the wheel of his Jaguar F-Type, which he drives more in the canyons of SoCal than on the streets.
