Fisker in talks with Volkswagen for MEB platform; shared parts could halve development time – report
Fisker is reportedly in talks with Volkswagen for the use of key electric vehicle components, including drive batteries, in an electric SUV that is slated for debut in 2022, according to Automotive News Europe. This would entail the use of Volkswagen’s MEB modular electric vehicle platform in order to halve development time for the Ocean, an electric SUV that Fisker revealed at the beginning of this year at CES 2020.
“Fisker is negotiating a source of battery supply which would provide Fisker with the benefit of one of the world’s biggest battery supply procurement contracts,” said Fisker. The automotive brand in its present guise is a revived one under Fisker Inc., following the California-based firm’s failed efforts in attracting Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and Dongfeng Motor Corp as majority stakeholder.
According to Fisker CEO Henrik Fisker, the company is currently in talks with several automakers for parts supply contracts, although Fisker did not mention Volkswagen by name, Automotive News Europe reported. Should talks for parts supply culminate in confirmed deals, Fisker will not need to manufacture its own air conditioning, steering rack or platform, the CEO said.
The maker of the Karma hybrid first unveiled its concept in 2008, and had planned for its production to commence in 2010 after securing a US$529 million loan in 2009 from the United States Energy Department.
This loan was however frozen two years after that because of delays in launching the Karma. Then-supplier of the Karma’s lithium-ion batteries, A123 Systems went bankrupt, then founder Henrik Fisker resigned in 2013 over disagreements with executive management of the time.
Back to the present, the Fisker Ocean was also announced at its unveiling in January to be priced from US$37,499 (RM154,000), or US$37,499 (RM154,000) after US federal incentives have been applied. A flexible lease option starting from US$379 (RM1,600) per month was also announced, and Fisker had begun collecting reservations at US$250 (RM1,000) per unit.
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