Fisker Ocean Production Starts, but Not All at Once

• Series production of the Fisker Ocean SUV begins in Graz, Austria, with contract manufacturer Magna Steyr building the EV.

• Fisker plans to complete just over 42,000 examples in the first year of production but will start with only 300 units in the first quarter.

• The EV maker will focus on the launch edition and the more expensive variants of the SUV first, before turning its attention to more affordable versions.

Fisker has kicked off production of the long-awaited Ocean SUV, marking the company's return to electrified vehicles. The first production example of the battery-electric Ocean rolled out of the Graz, Austria, plant where it is manufactured by Magna Steyr. The contract manufacturer and supplier that will build the Ocean for Fisker completed several dozen pre-production prototypes earlier this summer, which were sent to the US for powertrain and safety tests.

Company Chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker calls the Ocean "the world's most sustainable vehicle," launched in record time—on time—in Magna Steyr's carbon-neutral factory. He says the Ocean has 50 kg (110 pounds) of recycled, biodegradable, and overall eco-conscious materials.

But Fisker notes production will take some time to gain momentum.

The company estimates it will produce just around 300 units in the first quarter of 2023, ahead of a planned increase in the second quarter to 8000 units. Fisker plans to almost double that number once again in the third quarter, with 15,000 more units.

In all, Fisker plans to complete 42,400 Oceans in 2023, with two trims and all 5000 first-run units already sold out.

First out of the gate will be the Ocean One as a launch series. It will be followed by the Fisker Ocean Extreme, offering a dual-motor layout, 350 miles of range, California Mode, a Solar Sky roof, and a 17.1-inch infotainment screen—basically all the options—for $68,999, plus "delivery, finance, and government charges" that have not yet been specified.

Less expensive versions will follow, including the single-motor FWD Sport flavor, but like other EV startups Fisker is focusing on delivering the loaded versions first before it moves on to others.

Eventually, the Ocean is promised to carry a base price below $40,000, but it remains to be seen whether Fisker can stick to that projection after all the hikes in components and raw materials in 2022, and more to come in 2023.

At the moment, Fisker claims 63,000 reservations for the Ocean, but it's already planning its next model: the $29,900 Fisker Pear. Unlike the Ocean, the Pear is slated to be manufactured stateside, with Foxconn planning to launch production in 2024 at its Lordstown, Ohio, plant, where Foxconn plans to assemble other EVs as well.

For now, Fisker will focus on producing 42,400 units of the Ocean in 2023 without a hitch—a tall order for any new EV.