New Fisker Ocean 2022: Tesla rival SUV will use Volkswagen ID electric platform

Fisker is turning to Volkswagen to halve the development time for its all-electric debut SUV.

Potential Tesla rival Fisker appears to be in talks to secure Volkswagen's MEB all-electric platform and battery technology that will underpin its debut Ocean SUV, which has been confirmed for Australia.

The news came as Fisker went public on the US stock exchange, where it filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it plans to use the VW MEB architecture to cut costs and halve Ocean's development time. a source Car news.

The brand's CEO Henrik Fisker (who some may know as the automotive designer of iconic models like the BMW Z8) has explained to other media in the past that the brand doesn't have to make all the components in-house.

The suspiciously VW-like steering wheel in preview images was meant to be a gift.

California-based Fisker has teamed up with Spartan Energy Acquisition to become a publicly traded company that has reportedly raised $1 billion to fund the development of the Ocean SUV.

Fisker claims the Ocean EV is "the world's greenest vehicle" and will have a range of 402 to 483 km thanks to an 80kWh battery pack, vegan and recycled interior materials and "over 225kW" electric motor power.

The interior features a 16.0-inch Tesla-style multimedia screen and a minimalist 9.8-inch digital instrument cluster. The brand positions the Ocean as having an "extremely spacious interior" including a 566-liter trunk. The brand also promises decent towing capacity, with more details to be confirmed in 2021.

The ocean is clearly aimed at the Tesla inside, with a heavy screen but simplistic design.

Using a right-hand drive VW platform increases the likelihood of Fisker launching in Australia, an idea Henrik Fisker himself confirmed in 2019 when asked if the car would be available in Down Under.

VW Australia says it won't be until 2022 before we see any of its MEB-based all-electric models on sale locally.