Nissan Might Throw Fisker $400M Lifeline to Get an Electric Truck
Nissan would build the Fisker Alaska pickup, as well as its own version, in the U.S.
Fisker is in a tough spot at the moment. Henrik Fisker's new upstart electric vehicle company is struggling to sell its Ocean SUV, its stock price dropped to an all-time low of just 38 cents per share on Friday, and it announced on Thursday that it would have to cut 15% of its workforce. Due to its struggles, the company announced that investment into all new projects would be paused until it can find a manufacturing partner. Thankfully for Fisker, it may have already found that partner—Nissan.
The Drive reached out to Nissan for a comment and will update this story when we get more information.
According to Reuters, sources familiar with the negotiations claim that Nissan is looking to invest $400 million into Fisker. In return, Nissan would gain access to Fisker's EV platforms and technologies. More specifically, Nissan would build the recently announced Fisker Alaska pickup at one of its United States assembly plants and build its own electric pickup on the same platform.
This isn't the first time Fisker expressed its interest in partnering with another automaker, one that could help it manufacture more vehicles at a larger scale. "We have two cars that are almost ready. We can bring them to market fast—we just need the capacity," Fisker told Reuters in November 2023. He also said that he had been negotiating with five "traditional car companies." However, this past Thursday, Fisker said he'd narrowed it down to one.
At face value, this seems like a deal that would work out well for both companies. Fisker has some interesting and promising battery tech and its platform—variants of which underpin both the Ocean and Alaska—utilizes chassis tech from Austrian manufacturer Magna Steyr. That technology could help Nissan, who's been stuck in an electric rut after pioneering affordable EVs with the Leaf, get back in its groove. However, with build quality issues plaguing recent reviews and manufacturing struggles, Fisker could really use both the funds and the manufacturing capability that Nissan can provide. It will be very interesting to see what happens with both companies if this deal is made.
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