Henrik Fisker is back for a second round in the automotive arena. On Tuesday, the eccentric entrepreneur announced he would launch a new company, Fisker Inc. The venture will develop both electric cars and batteries, and it will unveil its first vehicle in late 2017.
The announcement follows a long history of ups and downs for the car designer. He first rose to prominence as a lead designer for BMW and Aston Martin, paving the way in the luxury automotive industry with innovative and stylish vehicle designs.
The Danish entrepreneur then went on to form his company in 2007, the now defunct Fisker Automotive. The hybrid automaker soon became infamous for its overall bad luck, struggling with several obstacles along the way and eventually filing for bankruptcy in 2013.
Fisker Inc’s first car will be a luxury model
The company has been silent for at least two years, according to its founder Fisker Inc. The automaker will reveal its first vehicle as soon as the second half of 2017.
Although there are not many details about the upcoming premium car, the press release for the company’s launch included a puzzling sketch. Signed by Fisker himself, the drawing traces the silhouette of a very bold-looking car, featuring mostly curved lines.
The famous designer added the upcoming vehicle would be more spacious and more efficient than its competitors. Fisker Nanotech, the venture’s new energy subdivision, has allegedly already developed prototypes for the new cars’ batteries. They are said to reach a 400-mile range on a single charge.
Henrik Fisker also said the new luxury car would be a “spiritual successor” to the late Fisker Automotive’s Karma.
Following the automaker’s bankruptcy filing, the Chinese conglomerate Wanxiang acquired the majority of its assets and spun off the company with Karma as the brand name. Its first vehicle was an enhanced version of the Fisker Karma, called Karma Revero, and launched last month.
Fisker Nanotech will develop the battery for the new car
To achieve all of the new company’s goals, the leading team at both divisions (Fisker Inc. and Fisker Nanotech) aim at battery tech development above all else.
“Our marriage of expertise and vision will deliver significant battery improvements in areas of density, longevity and speed of charging, contributing to reductions in overall cost,” Chairman Jack Kavanaugh of Fisker Nanotech said. “With our game-changing battery technology, now is the time to develop more affordable, mass market vehicles.”
Following the launch of its first car model, Fisker Inc. intends to develop its take on a competitor for Tesla’s entry-level Model S. An announcement or design reveal for the first Fisker Inc. vehicle could happen as soon as mid-2017, several sources say.
Like the Fisker Karma and the Karma Revero before it, it is more than likely that the upcoming Fisker Inc. luxury car will near or surpass the $100,000 mark when it finally hits the market in 2017.
Source: Fisker Inc