We’ve been hearing about Fisker’s downfall for months, but it finally appears that the automaker has reached the end of the road. Last night, the company officially filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware, writing a post on its website confirming the development.
Fisker said it had experienced “market and macroeconomic headwinds that have impacted our ability to operate efficiently.” The company is looking to liquidate its assets, which could net between $500 million and $1 billion.
Though this is a significant step toward Fisker disappearing completely, the company will preserve customer operations, likely including service and support of the Ocean EV. With thousands of SUVs in the wild, the company has to maintain some semblance of support, though it’s unclear for how long it will be able to manage the reduced operational level.
It’s easy to poke fun at founder Henrik Fisker for his second failed automotive effort, but losing what could have been a compelling line of EVs is also a shame. Beyond the Ocean, Fisker had at least three other models in development, including the smaller Pear crossover, the Alaska truck, and a supercar.
Fisker’s downfall is a reminder that it’s unreasonably difficult to get a new automaker off the ground, and it highlights how lucky companies like Rivian and Lucid have been to break through the initial hardships and produce customer-ready vehicles.
[Images: Fisker]
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