Henrik Fisker Announces New Electric Car Venture
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Henrik Fisker, whose previous Anaheim-based automotive venture went bankrupt in 2013, announced plans Tuesday to introduce a new luxury electric vehicle to compete with Tesla.
Fisker said he is relaunching his eponymous company, Fisker Inc., which he started in 2007, along with a battery arm called Fisker Nanotech.
The Danish automotive designer is the creator of the 2012 Fisker Karma, which was billed as the world's first premium electric car with a range extender.
According to a statement announcing his new venture, the Danish entrepreneur plans to introduce a "spiritual successor" to his Fisker Karma in the second half of 2017, "featuring a battery technology that will deliver the world's longest electric range of any production car previously developed."
Fisker, who will hold the title of chairman and CEO, said: "Fisker Inc. will spearhead a revolution in electric cars that will disrupt the electric vehicle market and change the world."
"Both the technology and the market are more mature now than when we first started out as pioneers in the electric vehicle industry, and our new vehicle will be the most innovative and cutting-edge electric car ever created," he said.
"If the electric car is to succeed as a mass market vehicle, we need a radical new battery technology and battery pack integration, and our vehicles will have just that," Fisker said. "With our game-changing battery technology, now is the time to develop more affordable, mass market vehicles."
In addition to a premium vehicle, Fisker said he is developing a mass-market, affordable electric vehicle that will retail for less than its competitors, but will feature a longer electric range.
Fisker is known for designing the BMW Z8 and Aston Martin's V8 Vantage and the DB9.
From 2001-05, he was design director and board member of Aston Martin and also held various senior roles at Ford Motor Co. From 1989-2000, he held various positions at BMW, including president and CEO of BMW Designworks USA.
(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)