You may not be aware of the Fisker brand, however, the CEO Henrik Fisker has a long and established background in the automotive world designing cars such as the Aston Martin DB9. The Fisker Ocean is not Henrik’s first endeavour into making his own car, in 2011 he developed and produced the Fisker Karma, a sporty PHEV. However, his new car the Ocean is a compact SUV BEV and importantly it will have an official towing capacity.
Key Fisker Ocean Specs
- Official Towing Capacity – 2,040 lbs (Sport) > 4,000 lbs (Ultra, Extreme & One)
- Availability – from late 2022
- Price – Starting $37,990 (Sport) > $68,999 (One)
- Range (EPA Estimate) – 240 Miles (Sport) > 350 Miles (Extreme & One)
- Estimated Towing Range (50%) – 120 Miles (Sport) > 175 Miles (Extreme & One)
- Maximum DC Charge Rate – up to 250kW
Fisker Ocean HP & Torque
- Ocean Sport – FWD with 275HP
- Ocean Ultra – AWD with 540HP
- Ocean Extreme and One – AWD with 550HP
Fisker Ocean Towing Capabilties
We still haven’t got the final production vehicle specs from Fisker for the Ocean, so just take the spec details above with a pinch of salt. I’m also a little sceptical of the targeted price points provided by Fisker for the Ocean. However, if they are able to hit these specs and price points they will be prominently featured in my best electric tow cars article.
On the towing capacity side of things it is looking very promising, especially with the all-wheel-drive variants of the Ocean. Not only for the additional traction when towing and the additional power but the stand-out range figures Fisker believe they will hit.
I got the towing capacity figures above by trawling the Fisker website and further to my comments above on ‘take with a pinch of salt‘ the Fisker FAQ states they are ‘targeting‘ the stated towing capacities.
If the AWD variants of the Fisker Ocean can offer a 4,000 lb towing capacity that will offer more than its key direct competitor the Tesla Model Y with a towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.
As of writing a Model Y Long Range costs around $52,000 and has an EPA range of 326 miles. The Fisker Ocean Ultra is slated to start from $49,999 and Fisker projects an EPA range of 340 miles.
The Ocean Ultra (540 HP) will also best the Model Y on power (434 HP) and according to Fisker the Ocean will also charge faster at 250kW compared to a maximum of 210kW with the Model Y.
However, an improved Model Y will be hitting the market around the same time as the Fisker Ocean hits the streets. Therefore, it will be very interesting to see how things really turn out.
A Look Around The Fisker Ocean
As of yet the final production version of the Fisker Ocean is not ready and final specs have not been announced. For instance, Fisker has not stated any battery capacities for the Ocean etc. However, Fisker is showing the Ocean off at various trade shows.
Therefore, I’ve included a quick video below by Edmunds Cars of a preview of the Fisker Ocean. They discuss how Fisker has plans to eventually offer the Ocean as a 7 seater and the various novel design features such as lowering rear windows and the extensive use of sustainable materials.
Interview With CEO Henrik Fisker
Below I’ve included a video interview with Henrik Fisker by Bjørn Nyland. If you have browsed several of the cars on my electric tow cars list you have probably come across one of Bjørn’s videos, he has some of the best real-world experiences of towing with an EV.
If the Fisker Ocean is a car that interests you I would very much encourage you to watch the interview below. While Henrik cannot answer all of Bjørn’s questions as they haven’t released full details on the Ocean as yet, Bjørn is able to learn some very interesting details about the development of the Ocean.
In the interview Henrik discusses the platform of the vehicle being aluminium. Therefore, part of the reason why Fisker may be very bullish on the range the Ocean can achieve is because it may be significantly lighter than its competition.
What was also discussed was a clutch for the rear motor on the AWD versions of the Ocean that disconnect it when the motor is not required, reducing drag and aiding efficiency. Certain AWD electric cars (the IONIQ 5 being an example) do suffer from a notable drop in efficiency over their single motor variants. Hence, its good to hear that Fisker is taking such measures to aid efficiency/range.
My Thoughts On The Fisker Ocean…
On the face of it, if Fisker can produce the Ocean at their targeted price points with the currently stated features they will be offering one of the most capable EVs on the market, especially when it comes to electric tow cars.
A 4,000 lb towing capacity would more than meet the needs of many small RV enthusiasts for instance. Add on top of that one of the highest ranges available and it puts to shame other premium BEV SUVs such as the Audi E-Tron.
However, its obviously Tesla and the Model Y in particular that the Fisker Ocean is aiming at, and it would appear its going to be able to put up a good fight. Though as Mr Musk has previously stated, ‘prototypes are easy, production is hard‘. Hence, its going to be interesting to see if the Fisker Ocean can live up to the claims.
