Henrick Fisker wants you to know that his car company is different from other start-ups.
It’s not surprising that Fisker Automotive and Tesla Motors—two California-based makers of high-end electric-drive sports cars—are viewed as similar companies. Fisker makes an ,000 plug-in hybrid and Tesla produces a 9,000 all-electric roadster. But Henrik Fisker, founder of the Southern California-based company that bears his name, was in Northern California where Tesla is based, to explain how and why the two companies are different.
To Fisker, it’s a matter of technology and market potential. “The full-electric car—like the Tesla Roadster—is a niche market. Plug-in hybrids have a much bigger market,” said Fisker, speaking at a meeting of the Western Automotive Journalists association. He added that the growth potential of the plug-in hybrid market is what has helped his company to secure venture capital financing for their project.
Three distinct markets of electric-drive vehicles are expected to gain momentum in the coming years: conventional gas-electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and all-electric cars. Many analysts believe that Prius-style hybrids will experience the most dramatic growth, followed by plug-in hybrids—with all-electric cars selling at lower numbers. The market for all-electric cars may be limited due to limited driving range.
Considering the larger market for plug-in hybrids compared to electric cars, Fisker believes that his company has a better business model than his competitor. His current goal is 15,000 annual sales of the Fisker Karma, a four-door sleek sports car. Fisker’s factory under contract in Finland—which also makes the Porsche Boxster and Cayman—can produce a maximum of 20,000 units annually. “We have a new business model. At 5,000 sales, we can make money,” which for now is fine with him. But Fisker is already looking several steps ahead.
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