First Drive: 2023 Fisker Ocean Electric SUV Proves to Be Unfinished Business
A bizarre delivery experience, disappearing safety features, and takeout tacos already mark the Ocean as one of the strangest cars we’ve ever encountered
Editor’s note: On June 17, 2024, Fisker Group, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In a statement, the company said that it planned to continue limited operations including “preserving certain customer programs.” New vehicle manufacturing will remain on pause as it has been for several months. The automaker also says it is in advanced discussions regarding the sale of its assets. Considering the uncertainty of parts availability, warranty coverage, and needed software updates, Consumer Reports would caution against purchasing a Fisker Ocean. We plan to complete our evaluations of the Fisker Ocean we purchased earlier this year for our vehicle test program.
My job is a great icebreaker: Whenever a stranger finds out I write about cars for Consumer Reports, there’s a good chance we’ll end up talking about all things automotive. That’s what happened back in 2019 when a friend of a friend asked for my opinion of the upcoming Fisker Ocean. The car wasn’t even close to hitting the market, but I already had a few thoughts. I told her that the concept looked good on paper—an all-electric compact SUV with 360 miles of range and a starting price of $38,900—but to be careful about buying from any startup brand, especially one whose founder already has one failed car company on his resume.
Five years later, my advice has largely been proven correct: Fisker announced that it is pausing production for six weeks “to align inventory levels and progress strategic and financing initiatives,” federal safety regulators are combing through a thick pile of owner complaints, and the Ocean sitting at our test track is still awaiting software updates before it evolves into its final form.
Watch the Talking Cars video podcast discussing our experiences with the Fisker Ocean.
Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports
The Ocean is engineered and designed by a new company called Fisker Inc., but the car itself is assembled by Magna International, a component supplier and contract manufacturer in Austria that also produces the Jaguar I-Pace, Mercedes G-Class, and Toyota Supra. With unique features like a pull-out taco tray and a “California mode” that opens nearly every panel of glass on the vehicle, including the rear window, the Ocean SUV stands out even among an increasingly quirky crop of new EVs. However, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened two investigations into the Ocean after owners complained about vehicles rolling away and partial loss of braking, issues which so far have allegedly resulted in two injuries. These and other complaints reported in the media don’t exactly inspire confidence in the product. Neither do our experiences with buggy software, features that disappear and reappear, and promises that future updates will activate options we already paid for.
Fisker’s financials aren’t doing the Ocean any favors, either. At this point, we don’t know how long Fisker is going to survive as an automaker, if consumers will be able to purchase the Ocean from another brand in the future, or even if Fisker is going to cash the check we wrote for the Ocean we purchased (they told us they couldn’t find it). In a statement, the automaker says it is “continuing negotiations with a large automaker for a potential transaction which could include an investment in Fisker, joint development of one or more electric vehicle platforms, and North America [sic] manufacturing.”
The company says it has delivered about 6,000 vehicles, but 4,700 Oceans are sitting unsold. If you’re a consumer who is still considering buying an Ocean, or if you’re an auto industry exec who is considering purchasing Fisker in its entirety, we encourage you to read about our early experiences with the Ocean first.
What we bought: 2023 Fisker Ocean Ultra (Yes, it’s a 2023—even though it was delivered to us in February 2024.)
What it competes with: Chevrolet Blazer EV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Nissan Ariya, Tesla Model Y, Toyota bZ4X, Volkswagen ID.4
Powertrain: 468-hp, dual electric motors; 1-speed direct drive, 113-kWh battery; all-wheel drive
MSRP: $52,999
Major options: Big Sur Blue paint ($4,500); “Recylced” floor mats ($250—yes, it was misspelled on the window sticker and no, we have not received them yet. Perhaps they have been recycled onto another car.); 22” F3b SlipStream black wheels ($1,900)
Destination fee: $2,438
Total cost: $63,981
If you’re a Consumer Reports member, you can read our full initial expert assessment of the 2023 Fisker Ocean below. We plan to put it through our complete test regimen once we’ve put 2,000 break-in miles on the vehicle. CR members will also get access to the full road-test results as soon as they’re available.
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