EV manufacturer Fisker Inc today took another significant step forward towards the start of production for the Fisker Ocean SUV with the official opening of several Fisker-dedicated operational areas at Magna’s world-class manufacturing facility in Graz, Austria.

Fisker CEO and chairman, Henrik Fisker, was onsite in Graz with teams from engineering, manufacturing, purchasing and quality to review the new facilities, the progress being made on the path to volume production and to commence a countdown clock timed to the start of production.

“The Ocean program continues to progress exactly how we forecast,” said Henrik Fisker. “Seeing areas such as prototype manufacturing and testing facilities ready for the Ocean was a motivating sight for everyone at Fisker and Magna. Having the confidence that the Ocean will launch on time with outstanding quality continues to validate our asset-lite strategy and specifically, our partnership with Magna.”

Ocean SUV to leverage Magna testing facility
Co-located teams from Fisker and Magna covering areas including manufacturing engineering and purchasing are now situated in a dedicated program office, ideally situated close to engineering, the prototype shop and the future production areas for Body-in-White (BIW) and the paint shop.

The newly completed prototype engineering and manufacturing centre will drive the first build phases for the Ocean. The prototype facility, which has a capacity of 1,500 vehicles per year, will enable the prototype build phase to be carried out using serial production conditions, helping to train the production team and ensure a smooth transfer to the serial production line. The Ocean will also benefit from the extensive testing facilities at Graz, including those for durability, NVH, climate extremes and a test track – all of which help drive program integration across manufacturing and engineering.

Fisker and Magna recently signed their long-term manufacturing agreement and confirmed that production of the all-electric Fisker Ocean SUV is projected to start on November 17, 2022, in Graz. The manufacturing agreement between the two companies covers planned volumes, manufacturing costs and quality metrics over the program’s lifecycle through 2029. It covers all stages, including the critical planning and launch phases. This agreement underpins all facility investments, including body shop, a clear path to start-of-production and rapid ramp-up to full run-rate production.

The Fisker Ocean SUV will use a version of a Magna-developed electric vehicle architecture modified by Fisker to create the FM29 platform, and in the process, create new intellectual property. Combined with Fisker-developed IP, the new aluminium-intensive FM29 platform is projected to deliver class-leading range and interior space at a Bill of Materials and manufacturing cost that enables the Ocean to enter the market at a starting MSRP of $37,499 (Rs 27.75 lakh) in the United States (excluding EV-related subsidies) and below 32,000 euros (Rs 26.45 lakh) in Germany (including taxes and EV-related subsidies) – as well as offer compelling, high-value option packages to customers across the Ocean’s entire price range.

“Seeing the countdown clock show 506 days until the start of production was a timely reminder of the work ahead,” added Mr. Fisker. “However, also seeing the quality of the facilities and the teamwork between the Fisker and Magna teams gave me tremendous confidence that we can continue to achieve our program milestones on our way to the start-of-production.”