When California-based carmaker Fisker Inc. debuted its first model, the Fisker Ocean, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, it represented a new opportunity for CEO Henrick Fisker to stake his claim in the electric vehicle industry.
"It's the world's most sustainable vehicle," Fisker told Cheddar. "At least that's our aim."
The all-electric SUV is expected to have a driving range of 250-300 miles on a single charge and will feature a solar roof and multiple parts made from recycled products.
This isn't Fisker's first rodeo. His company Fisker Automotive entered the hybrid vehicle market back in 2007 but failed to gain footing. The company declared bankruptcy in 2013 after receiving millions in federal assistance and taking over a former GM plant in Delaware.
Fisker retained the name and brand, however, and relaunched as Fisker Inc. in 2016 with the goal of producing an affordable, all-electric vehicle that could compete with the likes of Tesla.
The Fisker Ocean's current sale price is $37,499 (or $29,999 with a $7,500 federal tax credit). The company is accepting reservations online and via a proprietary app with a launch date of 2022.
For comparison, Tesla's Model X SUV runs for $84,990, though the midsized Model Y is set to launch in 2021 for about $48,000.
Similar to its omnipresent competitor, Fisker Inc. will skip over dealerships with a direct-to-consumer sales model. The company is also offering a flexible lease option that allows buyers to turn in their cars at any time.
Fisker has touted partnerships with still-unnamed automakers who he says will help lift the financial burden of developing the vehicle for mass production.
"We are working with some very large auto suppliers and that really means we don't have to spend billions of dollars developing everything ourselves," Fisker added.
One of the more luxurious features, "California Mode," allows drivers to lower all nine windows in the car at once. The idea is to create the feel of a convertible while retaining its full roll-cage.
Other sustainable features include a "vegan interior," repurposed rubber waste for various parts, and fully recycled carpeting throughout.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
