MENU
SEARCHAbandons direct-sales model to help it meet ‘increasing demand.’
In addition to the Ocean, Fisker has planned to produce two other EV models designed by co-founder Henrik Fisker.
IMAGE: Fisker
Electric-vehicle startup Fisker is ditching the direct-sales model common to the segment’s smaller players.
The California-based company said it plans to have about 50 brick-and-mortar dealerships with “no-haggle” prices “where permitted” in North America, sending its Ocean sports-utility vehicles to them by the end of the first quarter and having all dealers in place by the time it introduces “higher-volume” models.
It said it’s been talking with potential dealers since November in preparation for the change.
Fisker previously relied on direct sales of its models. The successor to hybrid vehicle Karma maker Fisker Automotive was founded in 2016.
It said it won’t require dealers to change their existing stores, indicating it will partner with those who currently sell other brands. It plans to keep its Fisker Lounges in overseas markets to introduce the brand to consumers and capture sales leads to pass on to dealers.
The company said it’s switching to dealership sales to “align with its asset light business model” and to scale for “significant acceleration” of Ocean deliveries and “higher volume production of future models.”
Fisker has planned to produce three EV models designed by co-founder Henrik Fisker.
The company said it will operate on a hybrid sales model in Europe, with continued direct sales and plans to also add about 50 sales and distribution partners.
It said the shift will help it meet “increasing demand” for its vehicles.
Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today
First-quarter auto sales increased as more consumers took advantage of government incentives. Hybrid deliveries are leading the way on the electrifieds boom.
Read More →
At nearly 14%, California had the lowest zero-emission vehicle market share in the first quarter since the fourth quarter of 2021, according to the California New Car Dealers Association.
Read More →
EREVs, also known as ‘series hybrids,’ may catch on in the U.S., where they currently have barely a toehold, as automakers tilt away from some purely electric models and consumers crave more range.
Read More →
Hybrids in particular lead not only EV market share but all power trains on the continent so far this year as gas and diesel continue their decline.
Read More →
Building on a previously announced $26 billion U.S. investment, Hyundai said it will grow its North American lineup and U.S.-based production and parts sourcing.
Read More →
Sony-Honda venture cancels two planned models, the first of which had been pegged for a mid-2026 California delivery debut. The brand’s direct sales had been challenged by the state’s auto dealers, but the venture cites Honda’s EV retreat.
Read More →
Softening prices, rising credit availability and higher tax refunds could be behind February’s sales pace rise and accompanying dip in inventory, according to Cox Automotive.
Read More →
The wholesale automotive market fared remarkably well given the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, Black Book analysts reported.
Read More →
The agency sent warning letters to dozens of auto groups about what it described as illegal practices and urged them to ensure their pricing policies enable transparency with consumers.
Read More →
New-vehicle sales fell year-over-year for the fifth month in a row in February, making retail deliveries the slowest they’ve been since 2023, according to a CarGurus report.
Read More →