Mexican Media Brands
Fisker Taps Magna for EV Platform
New partnerships continue to emerge as companies rush to put EVs on the road
#hybrid
Share
Magna International has been selected to supply the chassis for the upcoming Fisker Ocean electric crossover vehicle.
Fisker Ocean (Image: Fisker)
The companies also confirm that the supplier’s Magna Steyr unit in Graz, Austria, will assemble the EV for Fisker. Production is expected to begin in November 2022.
As the part of the deal, Magna has the option to purchase a 6% stake in Fisker, which Reuters says is worth about $3 billion. The California startup company is in the process of going public via a reverse merger with Spartan Energy Acquisition.
Lightweight Platform
Fisker says it evaluated several potential partners before choosing Magna. Volkswagen, which had been under consideration for the platform, still may supply some body and interior components for the vehicle.
Magna’s aluminum intensive FM29 skateboard architecture will help keep weight down and enable a roomy interior with three rows of seating, Fisker notes.
Batteries and electric motors will be sourced separately.
What’s Next?
The Ocean is expected to have a driving range of more than 300 miles. Pricing will start at $37,500.
Fisker also plans to use the flexible FM29 platform for a range of other EVs that it has in the works. The partners also have agreed to co-develop other unspecified technologies for future Fisker EVs.
“This is a great example of our strategy to leverage our strong portfolio to scale for future mobility needs and utilize our full vehicle engineering and manufacturing capabilities,” says Magna President Swamy Kotagiri in describing the deal.
The agreement is the latest in a wave of partnerships involving the scramble by startups to launch EVs. Magna also has a deal with Beijing Electric Vehicle to build electric cars in China, and it is in talks with another California startup, Canoo.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Increasing Use of Structural Adhesives in Automotive
Can you glue a car together? Frank Billotto of DuPont Transportation & Industrial discusses the major role structural adhesives can play in vehicle assembly.
-
Ford Copies Nature
As Nature (yes, capital N Nature) has done a pretty good job of designing things, it is somewhat surprising that Man (ditto) doesn’t follow Nature’s lead more often when it comes to designing objects.
-
Jeeps Modified for Moab
On Easter morning in Moab, Utah, when the population of that exceedingly-hard-to-get-to town in one of the most beautiful settings on Earth has more than doubled, some people won’t be hunting for Easter eggs, but will be trying to get a good look at one of the vehicles six that Jeep has prepared for real-life, fast-feedback from the assembled at the annual Easter Jeep Safari.
