Under new management, Fisker is readying a relaunch for the middle of 2015, though it might not be called Fisker anymore, according to its interim president. A name change might help the automaker get a fresh start, but can it really shake all the associated baggage with a new badge?
Purchased by China’s Wanxiang in a last minute bid for $149 million, Fisker owes its new masters a hefty sum already. According to Fisker’s temporary chief Roger Brown, the automaker will restart Karma production by the middle of next year, followed by a shooting brake model called the Karma Surf in 2016. If that all goes well enough, the half-finished Fisker Atlantic could hit dealers by 2017, the same year the Tesla Model E is slated to launch.
But one thing Brown isn’t sure on is whether or not to keep the Fisker name. That still belongs to Henrik Fisker, who hasexpressed interest in selling it. So far, Wanxiang has moved to scoop up all Fisker-related assets, including the Delaware factory and battery maker A123 Systems. As far as the next Karma goes though, the hybrid drivetrain will probably be ditched in favor of a supercharged Chevy V8.
Irony? You betcha.
According to Brown, Wanxiang is super serious about building “a great car company” here in America, and to be sure, all the pieces are in place. Wanxiang paid cash for Fisker, and employees are apparently beating down the doors in a bid to come back to the automaker. Fisker is definitely coming back it seems, it just might not be called Fisker anymore. Meanwhile, the man who founded the billion-dollar boondoggle is back to designing motorcycles.
That’s probably for the best, but what do you lot think?
Source: Detroit News
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