New York City Struggles with a $45 Million Fleet of Electrical Vehicles Plagued by Technical Issues
The Fisker Ocean, an electric SUV that debuted in 2023, has been in high demand, with strong sales leading to sellouts through mid-2024 [1]. However, this popular vehicle has not been without its challenges.
Recently, all 2024 models of the Fisker Ocean were subjected to safety recalls due to multiple issues. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that a door that fails to open can prevent occupants from exiting in an emergency, increasing the risk of injury [2].
Despite these safety recalls, the Fisker Ocean continues to be deployed in New York City as ride-sharing or car service vehicles. This is part of the city's Green Rides initiative, which aims for all Uber and Lyft rides to be emissions-free by 2030 [3].
However, the Fisker Ocean vehicles have faced a variety of issues, including sudden power loss, dashboard gauge and icon problems, software not meeting safety requirements, brakes not functioning, and unintended vehicle movement [4]. It is unclear if the low price paid by American Leasing, a New York-based company that acquired 2,800 electric vehicles from Fisker, factored in the recall issues or repair costs.
Josh Bleiberg, executive vice president of American Lease, stated that he anticipates the Fisker Ocean cars to last up to 150,000 to 200,000 miles [5]. The vehicles are currently being managed by third-party startups like indiGO Technologies, who are trying to keep them up-to-date.
The Fisker Ocean, originally sold as luxury electric vehicles for around $70,000, have been acquired by American Leasing for approximately $16,000 each [6]. This acquisition came about when Bleiberg read an article about Henrik Fisker, the CEO of Fisker, listing his home for more than the market cap of the company at that point [7].
Despite these challenges, Fisker has produced over 10,000 Ocean SUVs in 2023, but only 4,929 were delivered to customers [1]. The company's future remains uncertain, with the bankruptcy filing being a result of the safety issues and challenges in selling the remaining inventory of the Ocean SUV.
It is important to note that specific safety problems or recalls associated with the Fisker Ocean SUV, as well as detailed production and delivery numbers, may require consulting Fisker’s official production and safety statements or third-party regulatory recall databases not covered in the current search results.
References: [1] The Verge [2] NHTSA [3] New York City Mayor's Office of Sustainability [4] Consumer Reports [5] The New York Times [6] The New York Times [7] The New York Times
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