Tesla's rival company Fisker Automotive went out of business in 2012 after its battery supplier went bankrupt. Danish designer Henrik Fisher has launched a new electric vehicle (EV)/car battery company that plans to build autos with a 400-mile (644-km) range. His original company's first EV was a plug-in hybrid sports car that rolled out around the same time as the Tesla Model S but had big problems including many recalls.
Fisker started working for BMW's design studio in 1989. The 53-year-old Dane who has also worked with Ford and Aston Martin recently was interviewed by The Detroit Bureau.
Fisker Automotive's first green car was the stylish Fisker Karma.
The company's founder learned a lot of lessons when he ran his first EV company. That included the value of controlling company spending and battery production.
Fisker Automotive's battery supplier A123 went bankrupt. Both the battery maker and the car builder were sold to Chinese companies.
The car designer reported that he has teamed up with UCLA researchers, according to NBC News. They are developing a high-tech lithium-ion battery tech called "graphene" that boosts energy-storage in battery packs.
This will help to increase the car battery's range and decrease charging time. Tests show that some graphene batteries can store up to five times more energy than standard lithium-ion batteries.
Fisker suggested that his new company's first product will be an EV around the size of the Model S but with a larger interior. It suggests the car's batteries and other key parts would be mounted under the load floor.
The company would also develop a mid-range e-car. It would challenge future products including the Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model 3.
Fisker hopes to launch its first concept car and new battery tech in the second half of next year. The company's founder also suggested that it might start production by around 2019.
Fisker's first green car company recently announced it is now named Karma and the original hybrid car will be marketed under the name Revero.
In related news, EV startup Faraday Future announced on October 4, Tuesday that it has teamed up with LG Chem. Faraday's EVs will contain lithium-ion cells from the Korean company.
The Chinese car company showed off its first concept car at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in January, according to Hybrid Cars News. FFZero1 is a 1,000-horsepower vehicle that speculatively zooms from 0 to 60 mph in under three seconds.
Here's a reivew of the Fisker Karma: