Fisker teases all-electric pick-up

NICHE American electric vehicle (EV) brand Fisker has taken to Twitter to announce two new models to be built on the same platform, including what looks to be an all-electric pick-up truck.

 

Chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker announced on Twitter that its next two models to come after its planned SUV will be built on the same platform, claiming that “all automotive segments have to be electrified”.

 

The announcement was accompanied by a rear-facing shot of a pick-up with the Fisker logo emblazoned across the tailgate.

 

No timeline has been given for the release of the pick-up, however fans should not hold their breath, as none of Fisker’s recently planned models, including the eMotion sedan, have yet to materialise.

 

The electric SUV is currently scheduled for release in the second half of 2021, so any EV pick-up would arrive sometime after that.

 

Last week, Fisker also teased a new feature for the upcoming SUV, called the ‘California package’, which will allow for open-top driving without the use of a soft-top roof, suggesting some sort of folding hard-top mechanism.

 

Along with the California package teaser, Fisker announced it was aiming to release an entry-level variant of the SUV priced under $US40,000 ($A58,892).

 

A concept version of the SUV has been revealed with exterior styling similar to a Range Rover and an interior featuring recycled materials.

 

With another model to be built on the same platform as the pick-up, the second offering could assume a number of different identities, including a second, differently sized pick-up, a more utilitarian SUV, or even a van to help provide EVs in “all automotive segments”.

 

The most obvious rival for the Fisker pick-up, if and when it does come to market, will be Tesla’s planned pick-up and the Rivian R1T, the latter of which was revealed at last year’s LA auto show.

 

Rivian, the EV start-up with financial backing from Ford and Amazon, is targeting a US release date of late 2020 for the R1T, with the mechanically related R1S SUV to follow in 2021.

 

As befitting a light-commercial vehicle, the R1T will feature a number of torque-heavy electric powertrains, with three battery packs ranging in output from 300kW/560Nm to 522kW/1120Nm, and up to 644km of driving range.

 

Along with the teaser image of the pick-up, Fisker also revealed a photo of its new, full-length solar panel roof ahead of a targeted production date of 2021.

 

According to the brand, Fisker was the first to use a full-length solar roof on a production car with the Karma sedan in 2011.

 

The brand promises to make the solar roof capabilities “even more powerful” in 2021 but has not disclosed how much solar power the panels will be able to absorb.

 

It remains to be seen whether Fisker will make it to the Australian market.