fisker automotive Archives – The Green Optimistic

Is Fisker Karma Back on Track? $30 Million Lease Deal in California Points to “Yes”

Benji Jerew — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 19:07:41 +0000

Fisker Automotive just didn’t have an easy time of it, between company restructuring, battery problems, and a series of unfortunate events, the premium plug-in hybrid automaker managed to deliver less than 3,000 units before it went bankrupt. Wanxiang Group, a Chinese autoparts giant, bought the company, with plans to restart production of the flagship vehicle, […]

The post Is Fisker Karma Back on Track? $30 Million Lease Deal in California Points to “Yes” appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Elux Karma – ex-Fisker’s New Name, say Wanxiang Sources

Benji Jerew — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 20:33:15 +0000

Wanxiang is dropping the name “Fisker” and going with the new “Elux” brand name. The Elux Karma could be in production by mid-2016, though a production facility has yet to be finalized (read: mid-2017?). Following the story of the Fisker Karma, we find ups and downs that could constitute one of the biggest disappointments in […]

The post Elux Karma – ex-Fisker’s New Name, say Wanxiang Sources appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Tesla Motors Needs a Competitor, Will Fisker Automotive Step Up?

Benji Jerew — Mon, 19 May 2014 17:04:11 +0000

Tesla Motors, for now, is the undisputed leader in electric vehicle technology, but could the resurrected Fisker Automotive be a good competitor? No, I’m not talking about Fisker Automotive’s stalled lineup of extended-range electric vehicles (EREV), such as the Fisker Karma (a $100,000 Chevy Volt?). The truth is, you just don’t bring a hybrid vehicle […]

The post Tesla Motors Needs a Competitor, Will Fisker Automotive Step Up? appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Fisker Automotive Coming Back, Where or When is Anyone’s Guess

Benji Jerew — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 16:37:19 +0000

After the financial collapse of Fisker Automotive, taxpayers and government officials were decidedly upset. Even when Fisker Automotive’s financial assets were put up for auction, including $192 million in loans, people weren’t happy, mostly because an American company couldn’t manage to sway the courts and the loan handlers. Chinese auto parts giant Wanxiang won the […]

The post Fisker Automotive Coming Back, Where or When is Anyone’s Guess appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Wanxiang Group Reinventing Fisker Automotive

Benji Jerew — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 18:35:58 +0000

Fisker Automotive doesn’t exactly have a long history, being founded just seven years ago, but it surely has been a rough history. Multiple problems beset the company and, in spite of promising extended-range electric vehicle technology, Fisker Automotive eventually ceased all production and declared bankruptcy. Wanxiang America, part of Chinese automobile parts giant Wanxiang Group, […]

The post Wanxiang Group Reinventing Fisker Automotive appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Wanxiang America to Restart Fisker Karma Production ASAP

Benji Jerew — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 14:38:30 +0000

Chinese auto parts company Wanxiang wants to restart production of the Fisker Karma, but will anyone buy it with all the baggage it’s carrying? We’ll recall that it’s been over a year since the Fisker Karma stopped production, and pretty much everything was put on hold by the bankrupt Fisker Automotive. Thanks to a series […]

The post Wanxiang America to Restart Fisker Karma Production ASAP appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Envia Systems Advanced Lithium-Ion Battery Company Faces Legal Problems

Benji Jerew — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 22:06:04 +0000

Of course, A123 Systems was not the only lithium-ion battery company to arise just as plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles were coming onto the market. A123 Systems, an advanced lithium-ion battery manufacturer, and Fisker Automotive, maker of a high-end extended-range electric vehicle, might only be the most famous because of their failures. On the […]

The post Envia Systems Advanced Lithium-Ion Battery Company Faces Legal Problems appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Fisker Automotive Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Benji Jerew — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 20:04:16 +0000

It seems like its been a long time in coming, but Fisker Automotive has finally declared Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. After taking out $192 million in US Department of Energy [DOE] loans and better than $500 million from private investors, Fisker Automotive had a very difficult time getting on a roll. The Fisker Karma, and future […]

The post Fisker Automotive Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

VL Destino: The Fisker-Karma-Inspired Car Backed by Bob Lutz

Benji Jerew — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 18:40:24 +0000

Except for its toothy grin, the Fisker Karma is one of the sexier vehicles out there. Its extended-range electric vehicle [EREV] drivetrain makes it even better. With all the problems that Fisker Automotive has been suffering of late, it came as good news that Chinese billionaire Richard Li bought out the Department of Energy [DOE] […]

The post VL Destino: The Fisker-Karma-Inspired Car Backed by Bob Lutz appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Fisker Automotive’s DOE Loan Bought by Hong Kong Investor, Richard Li

Benji Jerew — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 18:19:22 +0000

It seems that Fisker Automotive just might get that second chance it’s been needing since it stopped making cars over a year ago and filed for bankruptcy protection. After suffering a series of unfortunate events, Fisker Automotive seemed like it was ready to fold. After receiving part of its promised funding from the US Department […]

The post Fisker Automotive’s DOE Loan Bought by Hong Kong Investor, Richard Li appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

A123 Systems, Advanced Lithium-Ion Battery Technology Company Gets New CEO

Benji Jerew — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 21:51:01 +0000

In October 2012, A123 Systems filed for bankruptcy, citing poor sales of electric and extended range electric vehicles, its prime target market. Now, it’s time to switch targets, if not technologically speaking, then regionally. A123 Systems, an advanced-technology battery developer, was simply ahead of its time, before the electric-vehicle boom, as well as too specialized, […]

The post A123 Systems, Advanced Lithium-Ion Battery Technology Company Gets New CEO appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Fisker Automotive Loan to be Auctioned – DOE Mostly Likely Will Lose

Benji Jerew — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 20:18:21 +0000

I’m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time, but the chips just didn’t fall right for Fisker Automotive. Fisker’s defaulted loan is now up for auction. In the beginning, Fisker Automotive had been awarded $529 million in guaranteed loans, from DOE’s [Department of Energy] Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, about four years […]

The post Fisker Automotive Loan to be Auctioned – DOE Mostly Likely Will Lose appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Teva Motors: Young Electric Truck Company has Big Plans

Benji Jerew — Thu, 04 Jul 2013 18:42:02 +0000

If you haven’t heard of Teva Motors, that’s OK, because they’ve only been a company since last year, but they have big plans for their new electric truck. Doesn’t VIA Motors already have an electric truck? Well, sort of, but not as big as this. Teva Motors’ new electric truck is aimed at short-range delivery […]

The post Teva Motors: Young Electric Truck Company has Big Plans appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Fisker Automotive Blames Battery Maker A123 for Failure

Benji Jerew — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 18:17:08 +0000

With the recent news that Fisker Automotive is looking at bankruptcy, the next obvious step, aside from selling off assets, is to figure out who is to blame. Fisker Automotive and A123 Systems could be inextricably linked in the minds of investors and politicians, seeing as A123 was the sole supplier of advanced lithium-ion battery […]

The post Fisker Automotive Blames Battery Maker A123 for Failure appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Henrik Fisker Wants to Recover Fisker Automotive

Benji Jerew — Tue, 28 May 2013 17:16:04 +0000

Fisker Automotive has been suffering of late, after a string of unfortunately occurrences, perhaps some poor decision-making by executives, and the exit of co-founder Henrik Fisker in February. Henrik Fisker, famous for his designs at Audi and BMW and co-founder of Fisker Automotive, didn’t leave because he’d decided his vision was clouded. When you open […]

The post Henrik Fisker Wants to Recover Fisker Automotive appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Plug-In Hybrid Bailey Blade EVR: New Muscle or Fisker Repeat?

Benji Jerew — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:16:29 +0000

Very few people have the vision and business sense to get any invention out of the garage and into production. Nowhere is this more true than the budding electric vehicle market. Case in point: Tesla Model S and Fisker Karma, an electric vehicle and extended-range electric vehicle, respectively. With its undeniably sexy body and zero […]

The post Plug-In Hybrid Bailey Blade EVR: New Muscle or Fisker Repeat? appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

The Fisker Automotive, Wanxiang, and VL Automotive Love Triangle Overseen by Bob Lutz

Benji Jerew — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:15:37 +0000

By now it’s no longer old news when we talk about yet another electric vehicle company going down, such as A123 Systems, CODA Motors, Better Place, and now Fisker Automotive. Bob Lutz, previously of General Motors and the driving force behind the Chevy Volt, has turned his attention to other projects. VIA Motors has designs […]

The post The Fisker Automotive, Wanxiang, and VL Automotive Love Triangle Overseen by Bob Lutz appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Wanxiang Also Has Eyes On Fisker Automotive

Benji Jerew — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:15:49 +0000

In business, sometimes death [read: bankruptcy] comes from a series of unfortunate events, as seems to have happened with Fisker Automotive. It’s been a story long in coming, but the end result is that Fisker Automotive can’t produce any vehicles. In spite of having a truly beautiful sedan and some big plans for the future […]

The post Wanxiang Also Has Eyes On Fisker Automotive appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Bob Lutz asks, “Should the US Bail Out Fisker Automotive?”

Benji Jerew — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:39:49 +0000

There are plenty of moves by the US government that have controversial, bailing out General Motors and Chrysler [and other companies] is one of them. Should Fisker Automotive have this same consideration? Large automobile manufacturers like General Motors and Chrysler were hanging on by a thread. In order to stabilize them, maintain production, and save […]

The post Bob Lutz asks, “Should the US Bail Out Fisker Automotive?” appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

More Bad News for Fisker Automotive, Geely Backs Out of the Bidding

Benji Jerew — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:32:42 +0000

Here’s more bad news for Fisker Automotive since Henrik Fisker resigned: Chinese Zhejiang Geely Holding Company has backed out of the bidding to acquire the flailing automomaker. Typically, money for development comes from a few places, investors, loans, or profits being a few major sources. Fisker Automotive started out with $528 million in loans from […]

The post More Bad News for Fisker Automotive, Geely Backs Out of the Bidding appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Breaking News: Founder Henrik Fisker Resigns from Fisker Automotive

Benji Jerew — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 17:49:10 +0000

Founded in 2007, Fisker Automotive has had a hard time getting up to speed, and today one of the founders, Henrik Fisker, resigns his post as executive chairman. What seemed to start out as a good idea, an electric vehicle with an onboard backup generator, or extended range electric vehicle, hasn’t turned out to be […]

The post Breaking News: Founder Henrik Fisker Resigns from Fisker Automotive appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Entry-Level Hybrid Electric Vehicle Planned by Fisker

Benji Jerew — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 17:24:39 +0000

As start-ups often have to contend with, bad press seems to have been following Fisker Automotive, wild accusations of the inherent safety problems with large rechargeable batteries. In the end, even the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration [NHSTA] has debunked these, but Fisker has been working hard to dispel myths such as these since […]

The post Entry-Level Hybrid Electric Vehicle Planned by Fisker appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Fisker Automotive Seeks to Delay A123’s Bankruptcy Proceedings

Benji Jerew — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 05:40:58 +0000

Electrified vehicles, including variations of electric vehicles [EV] and hybrid electric vehicles [HEV], all have two things in common, an electric motor and a rechargeable battery. Unfortunately, the demand for EVs just isn’t as strong as anyone was expecting, or at least hoping. Battery companies, such as A123 Systems, have been working on “the next […]

The post Fisker Automotive Seeks to Delay A123’s Bankruptcy Proceedings appeared first on The Green Optimistic.