Fisker is in a critical situation to say the least. After the failed launch of its first car, the American electric car start-up has announced that it could close its doors within the next 12 months. A situation from which it could be extricated, since rumors claim that Nissan is in negotiations to inject money that Fisker is so lacking. Here are the details.
We know: creating an electric car brand means losing (a lot) of money in the first few years. It’s sometimes even too much for some, and Fisker seems to be one of them.
The Californian start-up certainly has great plans, but the failed launch of the Ocean, its first model, has left the brand in a complicated situation, to say the least. Its president also affirms it: without external support, the brand will go bankrupt in the next twelve months! A call for help which seems to have been heard by a major manufacturer: Nissan.
Money and a pickup
This is the very serious press agency Reuters who informs us: Nissan is about to sign a partnership with Fisker. The article cites sources close to the matter, who indicate that the Japanese brand would be ready to invest $400 million in the start-up.
In exchange, Nissan would gain access to the Alaska pickup, which Fisker is currently developing, as well as its manufacturing in one of its American factories – Nissan has two, in Mississippi and in Tennessee, although we do not know which one. would be planned.
Everybody is happy ?
On the one hand, this would allow Nissan to expand its range of electric cars, currently limited to the aging Leaf and the Ariya, an SUV competing with the Tesla Model Y – but far, far from reaching the sales scores of the American.
The pickup that the Japanese brand covets, a body extremely popular in the United States and Canada, could therefore help it gain market share by competing against the Ford F-150 Lightning, the Rivian R1T or the Tesla Cybertruck.
An investment made possible by the modification of the terms of the alliance formed between Renault and Nissan, long-standing partners. The two brands can now invest and form partnerships with external players; Renault did not deprive itself of this by approaching Geely for the development of its thermal engines, for example.
At the same time, this windfall would give Fisker a little breathing room. Thanks to these hundreds of millions of dollars injected, the brand will perhaps succeed in avoiding the layoffs currently promised, while restarting the development of the next models: the compact Pear, rival of the Renault Mégane E-Tech and Volkswagen ID.3, and the hyper sports car Ronin, which will compete with the Tesla Roadster or the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore.
This agreement could be signed “during the month”so we should know more very soon.