2023 Fisker Ocean production begins in Austria

UPDATE, February 28, 2022: Production of Fisker's first electric vehicle has begun, as the Ocean starts to roll off the line in Austria.

Having been launched as the American manufacturer's first model last year, the first 50 units of the electric vehicle are now under construction at Magna Steyr's plant in Graz, Austria – home to other EVs such as the Jaguar I-Pace.

Fisker has previously told Wheels the Ocean will be coming to Australia, confirmed last year shortly before the EV officially went on sale at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Read more about the Fisker Ocean below.

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November 18, 2021: The first production model from American electric manufacturer Fisker has been officially unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Known as the Ocean, the fully-electric SUV has been under development for the past two years since its first reveal at the 2020 Consumer Electrics Show – with the production-ready model now unveiled for the first time.

At a base price of US$37,499 (AU$51,600) before on-road costs for the entry-level Sports trim, the least expensive variant of the range is powered by a single motor on the front axle – developing 205kW and providing a driving range of 400 kilometres from its lithium-ion phosphate battery cell.

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The three higher-spec variants – Ultra, Extreme and the limited edition One – will benefit from dual motors, increasing the Ocean's power output to 403kW in Ultra trim, while its nickel manganese cobalt cell battery pack helps to deliver an increased driving range of up to 550km on a single charge.

Extreme and One grades receive a small power boost up to 410kW, and driving range is also extended to 562km, while the optional SolarSky roof can extend the Ocean's distance capabilities by up to 3200km annually, provided the conditions are right.

No matter what spec, all Oceans are sold with 20-inch 'aero' wheels as standard – but the manufacturer will also offer three 22-inch designs, all shod in tyres specifically designed by Bridgestone for the EV.

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Designed in California with Golden State customers in mind, the roof can also slide back with the windows dropped to create 'California Mode' – all but turning the Ocean into a convertible.

Aiming to make its production as environmentally friendly as possible, the Ocean features seating for five with a fully vegan interior made of recycled materials, including; reclaimed fishing nets, old t-shirts, and renewed rubber.

Front and centre on the dashboard is a 17.1-inch, high-resolution touchscreen which can rotate between portrait and landscape mode, the latter of which Fisker dubs 'Hollywood Mode' when the vehicle is parked.

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Although Fisker hasn't released any charge times or capacity information for its Ocean batteries, the EV will be able to provide power back to the grid, charge other EVs, or act as a back-up supply of power for homes in the event of an emergency.

Production is slated to start in a year's time at Magna-Steyr’s carbon-neutral factory in Graz, Austria, with the first examples expected to hit American roads in early 2023.

Fisker has previously told Wheels it had planned to bring the Ocean to Australia from 2023, potentially entering the market at around the same price as Tesla's popular Model 3.

With the aforementioned Ocean Sport starting out at US$37,499 (AU$51,600), the all-wheel drive Ultra will go on sale from US$49,999 (AU$68,800), while the range-topping Extreme and One are given a US$68,999 (AU$95,000) price tag, although the latter is limited to just 5000 units.