Before Fisker Inc. went bankrupt both here and in the rest of the world, the brand's founder, Henrik Fisker, believed that it was greedy to charge for servicing electric cars.
Before the car brand Fisker went bankrupt, founder Henrik Fisker stated that servicing electric cars was primarily due to greed.
According to Fisker, servicing electric cars is unnecessary. In fact, car manufacturers are just using it as an excuse to make money.
– It's only because they want to make money and because their dealers need revenue, Henrik Fisker explained during the electric car fair E-car Expo in Stockholm in 2023, according to Vi Bilägare .
The electric car show in Stockholm, held in February, attracted 17,000 visitors, setting a new record.
One of the most talked about participants was Henrik Fisker, who presented his latest project, the electric car Fisker Ocean. The car that would also be the brand's only one before the bankruptcy.
According to Fisker, 500 Swedes had already reserved an Ocean, which has a starting price of about 290,000 kroner. At that time, production in Austria had begun. And Fisker Inc. claimed that it had 63,000 pre-orders.
That many cars were never made. And instead, the factory, Magna Steyr, had to lay off several people. Partly because the American-Danish company didn't pay its bills. Read more about it here.
Back at the Stockholm show, Henrik Fisker argued that traditional car manufacturers insist that servicing is a permanent part of owning a car. Even though electric cars in many ways do not require the same maintenance as petrol and diesel cars. Tesla has already removed the requirement for servicing models, and Fisker chose a similar approach.
– They (other car brands, ed.) are used to making money on a car every 16,000 kilometers. But electric cars do not need regular service. With today's cars that are online, you can see everything and let customers know if something needs to be done, said Henrik Fisker.
He explained that modern technology in electric cars allows for ongoing monitoring and diagnostics without the need for routine inspections, saving car owners money and time.
Tesla has been pushing for a similar approach for several years, where there are no service interval requirements. While it is cheaper for drivers now and then, it does not mean that electric cars will last forever. On the contrary, it is extremely expensive when electric cars first break down. Read more about it here .
Henrik Fisker is not alone in criticizing the practices of car manufacturers, however. Several people in and around the automotive industry have previously pointed out that traditional car brands are dependent on service on their cars to keep their business running.
Before Fisker in Denmark went bankrupt, the brand managed to sell around 400 cars. Far fewer than they actually had in stock. The majority of the stock – at least in the US – has now become a leasing company's headache.
Because Fisker Inc. has not yet been completely shut down, there is still uncertainty about the access to and price of something as simple as spare parts. This is one reason why several insurance companies in Denmark refuse to offer comprehensive insurance for the cars.
