Dive Brief:
- Electric vehicle startup Fisker said over 100 dealers in the U.S., Canada and Europe are interested in becoming Fisker dealers since the company announced its new sales strategy earlier this month, according to a press release Tuesday.
- The automaker will host an event with interested dealers at its headquarters in Manhattan Beach, California, during the week of Jan. 29.
- Fisker also said it would sell all its unsold 2023 vehicle inventory by the end of the first quarter of 2024 to improve its balance sheet.
Dive Insight:
Fisker struggled with production delays and vehicle sales in 2023, delivering just 4,700 Ocean EVs last year. However, its new dealership model might help the EV startup reach more potential customers.
The fledgling automaker announced its new dealer partnership sales model on Jan. 4, scrapping the direct-to-consumer model it previously used to market and sell its EVs in the U.S. In the company’s update, Fisker said its new dealers would purchase vehicles for their inventory shortly after finalizing their partner agreements with the EV startup.
The company has been in discussions with potential dealers since November and expects the first Ocean vehicles to arrive in dealer showrooms next month.
CEO Henrik Fisker and other executives will attend the National Automobile Dealers Association show in February to meet prospective dealers and promote the company’s new sales model.
Fisker’s dealers will provide the automaker with customer support, including service, assistance with warranty claims and test drives, as well as financing and insurance. Fisker's initial dealer agreements in the U.S. will likely cover California, New York, Illinois, Florida, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida and Maryland, the company said.
Before the dealer partner announcement earlier this month, Fisker planned to open a global network of Fisker Lounges serving as retail spaces where customers could experience the Ocean SUV in person, have questions answered or place an order. The new business model will help Fisker deliver more vehicles and address “an initial lack of real estate to achieve its delivery objectives,” the automaker said.
