Yes, it is true, Henrik Fisker, the co-founder, executive chairman and designer of Fisker Automotive, the maker of the Karma range-extender hybrid, has officially left the company.
As always with situations such as this, nobody ever gives a good reason for their decisions, and all we’re left with are ambiguous lines which don’t really tell us anything particularly new.
Mr. Fisker announced his decision through an email, stating that the decision is effective as of today. In it, he just said that there were several major disagreements between himself and the rest of the management on their business strategy.
However, the problem we say goes even deeper. Fisker has not built a single car since July of 2012, due to a battery pack supply issue, and they lost around 300 vehicles in the New Jersey at the hand of Superstorm Sandy – a lot for a manufacturer that had only delivered around 2,000 Karmas through October 2012.
Nevertheless, in spite of this being a rather unpleasant situation, Mr. Fisker’s email ended by saying that he was pleased with the level of interest they managed to arouse in their quest for investors, stating that there are already offers which are currently being looked over and analyzed.
Fisker Automotive will most likely not be the same without its most important man, and while the company may get back on its feet and begin making cars again, we say the image will suffer following the departure, which is by no means a good thing if selling expensive green cars is your game.
Fisker Official Statement:
“Fisker Automotive announced today the resignation of its Executive Chairman, Henrik Fisker. The Company recognizes and thanks Mr. Fisker for his service and many contributions as Fisker Automotive has progressed from start-up to a fully-fledged global automotive company.”
“Fisker Automotive is proud to have launched the world’s first extended-range luxury electric car, the award-winning Karma sedan. The Company has a strong and experienced management team and its strategy has not changed. Mr. Fisker’s departure is not expected to impact the Company’s pursuit of strategic partnerships and financing to support Fisker Automotive’s continued progress as a pioneer of low-emission hybrid electric powertrain technology.”
By Andrei Nedelea
Story References: Fisker, Bloomberg & Washington Post
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