In June, the American electric car start-up Fisker File for bankruptcy. They wanted to have over 40,000 cars in Graz in 2023 Magna produce, in fact there were only around 10,000 pieces.
Recently there were significant discounts on unsold cars in order to get rid of them and make money with them. The country manager for Austria explained in the industry magazine Auto Informationthat around 20 to 30 copies of the Ocean are still for sale in Austria. On the internet auction site My marriage 12 Oceans are currently on offer with starting prices starting at 12,000 euros (including right-hand drive vehicles, which are offered cheaper). And that for an electric car that cost a good 70,000 euros in its most expensive version.
One issue that has emerged recently and is affecting current and future Ocean customers is missing Software-Updates. Henrik Fisker designed the Ocean electric car as a “software defined vehicle” – meaning that many functions are no longer controlled via the corresponding hardware on board, but instead require constant contact with the manufacturer’s cloud services.
Without these updates you can still drive the car, but important functions (including doors, sunroof, battery management, support, etc.) are limited or no longer usable. Some described their Ocean as electronic waste and a “lawn ornament.”
The American car leasing company also had to deal with the problem of missing software updates American Lease recognize that over 3000 of the built Ocean bought for their fleet in the summer. At a price of around 46 million dollars. It turned out that it was not possible to transfer important software from Fisker to American Lease’s servers.
American Lease has now reached an agreement with Fisker to take over the cloud services for the support services for $2.5 million, reports Reuters. For the period of five years. This is also good news for all other Ocean customers. It is not known whether they will then have to pay American Lease extra for the software updates.
1. Introduction
– Can you please introduce yourselves and provide a brief overview of your roles within the electric car industry?
– Can you comment on the recent challenges faced by Fisker and how this has impacted the broader EV market?
2. Bankruptcy and Production Issues
– How does the bankruptcy filing of Fisker affect the reputation of start-up EV companies?
– What are the potential implications of Magna’s inability to meet production targets for Fisker as well as other start-up EV manufacturers seeking partnerships?
3. Discounts and Availability
– What factors led to such significant discounts on unsold Fisker Ocean cars?
– How has the availability of these discounted vehicles affected consumer confidence in the brand?
– Have you noticed any changes in demand for the Fisker Ocean following these discounts?
4. Software Updates and Functionality
– Can you elaborate on the impact of missing software updates on the Fisker Ocean’s functionality?
– As a start-up company, was it reasonable for Fisker to rely heavily on cloud services for vehicle functionality?
5. Leasing and Financial Concerns
– Can you explain the issue with software updates affecting the American car leasing company, American Lease, and their decision to purchase 3000 Oceans?
– How does the financial agreement between American Lease and Fisker affect not only leasing companies but also individual consumers who may be concerned about ongoing costs?
– What are some potential alternative leasing options available for customers who want to avoid similar issues in the future?
