How the 2023 Fisker Ocean will be built

The 2023 Fisker Ocean electric crossover finally went into production this month at contractor Magna Steyr's plant in Graz, Austria. Now Fisker has released a short time-lapse video of the process.

The approximately three-minute video shows a very typical automobile assembly process. Robots weld and join metal pieces together to form the body shell. The car is then transported to various stations for painting and installation of various parts before being removed from the assembly line as a finished car.

While robots perform a significant portion of this assembly work, such as installing Ocean's glass roof and battery pack, human workers also perform many tasks, such as installing the interior.

By going into contract production, Fisker was able to avoid the costs of building its own factory and the headaches experienced by EV companies like Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid in launching production of their first models. Even existing automakers sometimes outsource production of certain models. The Austrian plant that produces the Ocean also assembles the Jaguar I-Pace.

Magna also supplies the Ocean's platform, which is combined with a Fisker-designed body that was first shown in concept form at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show. Novel features include a California mode that drops the side windows and rear gate window at the same time, and a limousine mode that allows rear-seat passengers to control the temperature and audio.

Fisker unveiled the planned production version at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show, offering a base price of $37,499 for the entry-level Sport version. It will gain a single-motor front-wheel drive powertrain with 275 hp, 0-60 mph in 6.9 seconds, and an estimated range of 250 miles.

Fisker will also offer a mid-level Ultra version and a range-topping Extreme version. The latter's dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain will have a maximum output of 550 hp and a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 3.6 seconds. Fisker previously offered the model with a range of 350 miles and a base price of $68,999.

The first 5,000 Oceans will be an Ocean One special edition based on the Extreme trim level with unique styling features such as 22-inch F3 Slipstream wheels and Big Sur Blue paint. 5,000 units sold out in 30 days and a $5 secured by paying a deposit of $1,000. Fisker claims to have a total of over 63,000 Ocean reservations and is reportedly considering expanding production, possibly with a second manufacturing facility in the U.S.

This is not the first Fisker EV to be produced in the U.S. The company has tapped Foxconn to build a more affordable model, code-named "Project Pear," in Ohio starting in 2024 at the same plant where the Lordstown Endurance electric pickup truck will be built.