American electric vehicle manufacturer Fisker is back with a battery-powered SUV concept the company says will travel about 480 km on a charge and cost less than US$40,000.
Scheduled for a late 2021 market launch, the unnamed SUV will be the first of a trio of electric vehicles that Fisker Inc. hopes will reestablish the brand as a player in mass-market EVs.
Before now, Fisker was known for the Karma, a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) luxury sedan sold in 2011 and 2012 before the company went bankrupt. The car was reborn as the Karma Revero in 2017 following a Chinese company's purchase of Fisker's design.
Fisker describes its forthcoming SUV as a "futuristic, elegant and muscular SUV" that will boast design cues previously reserved for supercars.
The company's press release sticks to high-level details and offers a single image, a drawing of the concept's front end. Fisker's promised driving range will come from a lithium-ion battery of at least 80 kWh. All-wheel drive will be optional, but Fisker doesn't say whether the standard model will power the front or rear wheels.
The timing of Fisker's announcement is notable, coming just days after Tesla revealed its Model Y compact crossover. We expect the pair of utilities will become natural competitors: Tesla has also promised a maximum range of 480 km and a sub-$40,000 price (in the US). However, if both companies live up to their promised timelines, the Model Y will reach the market about a year before Fisker's new creation.
Fisker mentions few specific features, but says its SUV will allow "an extended, open-air atmosphere with the touch of a button," leading us to surmise the car will have a large panoramic sunroof, if not a semi-convertible top.
Fisker will follow the SUV with two other models, one of which will be the EMotion sport sedan, sporting the company's own solid state battery technology that promises more than 800 km of range on a "single, quick charge." Fisker's third model remains a mystery.
