The Fisker Ocean is apparently a hit with customers, even more so than expected, leading the automaker to consider expanding production of the electric SUV and even potentially expand production to the United States.
The Ocean is set to enter production this November, and will be built by Ontario-based Magna International Inc. at their facility in Graz, Austria. The company was originally planning to produce up to 50,000 units per year, but that may not be enough.
According to Fisker they have received over 58,000 reservations for the Ocean SUV, and expects demand to continue, with that number projected to reach 80,000 by the end of the year.
As a result, the company is considering expanding production, including possibly in the US.
“The enthusiasm we’re seeing worldwide for the Fisker Ocean is nothing short of humbling. With our partners at Magna, test vehicles are rolling off the line at the carbon-neutral manufacturing plant in Graz, where we are working diligently on expanding production numbers beyond the current projection of 50,000 units per year. We are also exploring expanding operations to meet this growing demand, including considering manufacturing in the United States,” CEO Henrik Fisker said in a press release.
The announcement was scarce on details, and could be the result of the Inflation Reduction Act signed by U.S. President Joe Biden last week, which allows for tax credits up to $7,500 for EVs built in North America or assembled with a certain number of North American-made parts.
If Fisker does follow through, they are unlikely to build their own manufacturing facility and will again partner with a contract manufacturer. A leading contender would be Foxconn, which already has a contract with Fisker to produce the PEAR EV at its new plant in Ohio.
The Fisker Ocean SUV is billed as “the world’s most sustainable vehicle”, with parts made from recycled and vegan materials. It will be available in both RWD and AWD configurations and will feature a 80kWh battery pack.
