Fisker reignites with EMotion

HENRIK Fisker has lifted the lid on the model that will reintroduce the Fisker automotive brand to the world and take on Californian giant Tesla in the growing electric vehicle market.

Just a couple of images of the new electrified sedan – dubbed the EMotion – have been revealed so far with the newly formed company confirming that more details and more images would be forthcoming next year.

The overall shape of the EMotion is similar to that of the Tesla Model 3 small liftback that was uncovered in April in concept guise.

The new model has a sporty, dynamic design with a front-end treatment that is already proving to be polarising.

Sharply-angled LED headlights, a pair of bonnet ‘nostril’ scoops and staggered lower air intakes as well as a thin-lipped grille make up the elements at the front, while short front and rear overhangs and massive bulging wheel-arches give the EMotion the appearance of a performance car.

The fledgling company has not said whether this is the production version or a concept, but the impossibly thin exterior mirrors, huge wheels and lack of door handles suggest it could be a concept.

As Fisker Inc revealed two weeks ago, the new model has vertical opening “butterfly” doors for ease of entry and egress, which follows Tesla’s decision to offer falcon wing doors on its Model X SUV.

Few details have been revealed about what lies under the EMotion’s skin, but in a recent Facebook post, the company announced that the new model would feature a “unique composite carbon-fibre and aluminium structure”.

The car’s structure and proportions also make for a huge interior space which Fisker says is larger than its closest competitor – presumably the Tesla Model S.

Fisker is yet to detail the battery technology that is being developed by his battery division Fisker Nanotech, but it said it will deliver “the world’s longest electric range of any production car previously developed”.

It says the car will have an all-electric driving range of 400 miles, or 644km, which eclipses that of the Tesla Model S P100D (613km) and a top speed of 260km/h.

Fisker says the EMotion will also be equipped with hardware that allows fully autonomous driving for when that sort of driving is approved. It will be developed by a yet-to-be announced partner.

The EMotion is likely to be built by VLF Automotive, which is a niche car-maker with a manufacturing facility based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, that Mr Fisker is also involved with.

It is unclear if the EMotion will be produced in right-hand drive or if there are plans to expand sales beyond the United States.

This is the second time around for the Fisker brand, following the doomed launch of the electric Karma sedan in 2011 that was plagued by problems.

The company eventually filed for bankruptcy and was eventually taken over by the Wanxiang Group from China, which then rebranded under the Karma Automotive banner. That company is now selling a resurrected version of the Karma, called Revero, in some markets.