Following on from Elon Musk’s habit of suing anyone who criticises a Tesla, the ups and downs of building bespoke electric/hybrid cars in the US continue with the surprise resignation of Henrik Fisker from the company he founded; Fisker Automotive, makers of the luxury Fisker Karma.
While Fisker has sold 1,800 examples of its luxurious Karma plug-in hybrid sedan, the company has battled everything from production problems to car fires.
Henrik Fisker’s sudden departure comes as the company scrambles to secure a lifeline and follows “several major disagreements” with top executives over the company’s business strategy.
Fisker Automotive has been searching for a potential partner – or a fully-fledged buyer – in recent months, with several Chinese companies (including Geely Automotive which bought Volvo from Ford in 2010) said to be interested.
While starting strong, the company hasn’t built a car since November last year, due to its battery supplier – A123 Systems – going bankrupt and it has also had to deal with a number of other dramas, including a recall of all 1,800 cars due to a fire risk from a malfunctioning cooling fan.
Now it seems Fisker Automotive is in trouble, and the departure of its charismatic founder is not a good sign.
It’s not all bad, however, as after Fisker handed back his company car he did his part to help with the finances by heading to his local Santa Monica dealership and buying himself a brand new Karma. In blue, apparently.
