Fisker is scheduled to reveal its new EMotion electric sport sedan on August 17, but the company’s founder and namesake, Henrik Fisker, just couldn’t contain himself from showing it a little early.
He posted a photo to social media on Wednesday showing the EMotion on a street just outside Apple's headquarters. This is the first time the car, which is still a prototype, has been shown in the metal. All previous looks were in the form of computer-generated renderings.
It was only in October that Henrik Fisker announced he was reviving Fisker. The original company known as Fisker went bankrupt in 2013 and was bought by China’s Wanxiang, which renamed it Karma. Karma is now building an updated version of the former Fisker Karma, which it has relabeled the Revero.
Henrik Fisker kept the rights to the Fisker name and logo and is now using them for a new electric car startup. The first model from the new company will be the EMotion. Fisker is still seeking funding to get the EMotion into production but is targeting a delivery date of 2019.
Production will take place in the United States, most likely at a plant in Auburn Hills, Michigan operated by VLF, which Henrik Fisker is a partner of. The body of the car will be a mix of carbon fiber and aluminum to help reduce weight and is claimed to be around 20 percent lighter compared to similar sized cars.
The EMotion features a futuristic design with sculpted surfaces as well as a large windshield pushed forward and diving into a low hood. The rear appears to have some very wide haunches but a relatively narrow trunk opening. The trailing edge of the trunk lid serves as a spoiler and below this sits a diffuser that Fisker says is fully functional.
The cabin, accessed via supercar-style butterfly doors front and rear, will boast space similar to a full-size sedan despite the EMotion being the size of a mid-size model, Fisker says. This is due to the packaging afforded by its electric powertrain and wheels pushed to the corners.
Teaser for Fisker EMotion debuting on August 17, 2017
Fisker will launch the EMotion with current lithium-ion battery technology and not the newer graphene technology the company originally promised. Despite the change, Fisker maintains the EMotion will deliver over 400 miles on a single charge. The company is also touting something called UltraCharger technology which will be capable of adding 125 miles of range in just nine minutes. The top speed, meanwhile, is expected to be 161 mph.
Fisker also says the EMotion will be fitted with all the hardware necessary for full self-driving capability. The self-driving software to run the hardware is being developed by a partner that Fisker will announce soon.
Interested buyers can place a reservation for the EMotion along with a $2,000 deposit. The starting price has been confirmed as $129,900 which is comparable with top versions of the Tesla Model S. If all goes to plan, Fisker hopes to launch a second, more affordable model targeting the Tesla Model 3. The Tesla is due to start production in July.
