Fisker Ocean

A great expanse of water that covers roughly two-thirds of the Earth's surface. Ah, sorry, we thought you meant the ocean. The 2022 Fisker Ocean is an upcoming all-electric five-passenger small SUV from famed automotive designer Henrik Fisker. Fisker is known for his sensational sports car creations, including the BMW Z8, Aston Martin DB9 and his own short-lived Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid luxury sedan.

The Fisker Ocean is the first of his vehicles aimed at the mass market, with a promised starting price tag of $37,499. However, that's for the base Ocean Sport, which Fisker says won't be available until after the vehicle's debut in late 2022 or early 2023. Instead, Fisker will lead off with the loaded-up Ocean One, which checks in at $68,999.

While most EVs at this price are really closer to hatchbacks than crossovers, the Ocean's dimensions suggest a true SUV profile. It's roughly the same size as a Tesla Model Y, though slightly wider and lower. Combined with an estimated 25 cubic feet of storage behind the rear seat, the Ocean looks to be a fairly typical small SUV from a size perspective.

Motor specifications and battery pack capacity have not yet been finalized, and Fisker says details will be made available at a later date. But we do know that there will be three different power and range ratings, varying by trim.

According to Fisker, the base Sport model will have 275 horsepower, 250 miles of range on a full charge, and a 0-60-mph time of 6.9 seconds. A single-motor front-wheel-drive setup will be standard.

The Ultra will be equipped with dual motors and all-wheel drive to develop 540 hp. Fisker says the Ultra will have an estimated range of 340 miles. At the top of the range, the launch-edition One trim level (which will later get renamed as the Extreme trim) will use the same dual-motor AWD setup, but it will produce 550 hp and have a range of 350-plus miles.

On the battery side, the Ocean's pack will have more than 80 kWh of capacity. While you can always charge at home, the Ocean is also equipped with a DC fast-charging plug for filling up the pack on road trips.

Fisker is working with Electrify America to simplify payments for Fisker vehicles at EA's charging stations. The company says the Ocean can accept the full 150-kW charging rate that many of EA's stations deliver. Fisker estimates charging from 15% charge to 80% adds 200 miles of range and takes 30 minutes at 150 kW. Fisker also says every Ocean will come with a bundle of free miles on the Electrify America network, but no packages have been announced yet.

Our first glimpses at the Ocean's interior reveal a modern, high-tech cabin. Front and center is a 17.1-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen, flanked by a 9.8-inch screen that serves as the instrument panel. In contrast to the cabin of the Tesla Model Y — which can be minimalist to a fault — the Ocean's touchscreen features a row of buttons underneath for accessing high-level interface functions. The steering wheel also has a traditional set of controls to interact with the numerous systems in play.

Knowing that some EV buyers prefer eco-friendly materials, Fisker says the Ocean's cabin uses no animal products. Several surfaces are made from renewable sources, including carpets made of recycled fishing nets and upholstery made from polyester fiber and recycled materials. A solar roof is also available, which has the capability to add a few extra miles of range each day.

The so-called California Mode is also pretty cool. It opens all of the Ocean's windows — including lowering the glass on the rear hatch — at the touch of a button.

During our time with the Ocean, we were unable to test, or even view much of the tech that's listed on the spec sheets. Early prototype models are experiencing lots of changes in the production process and it seems like a few of Fisker's lofty goals have been abandoned.

When we first saw prototype versions of the Ocean, we were skeptical of the promised head-up display directly integrated into the windshield. It was a neat concept, but it's much more complex than current HUDs (which are projected onto the screen), not to mention likely much more expensive to replace. And, sure enough, it wasn't on the prototype model we saw in person. What's more, neither of the interior screens were available for use or testing, so we'll just have to wait and see how they perform in due time.

Early Fisker spec sheets detail lots of driver aids that could be available, but with the release date of the Ocean so far out, things may change significantly over time. We expect to see, at the very least, aids such as traffic-adaptive cruise control and other systems that can help keep you from drifting out of your lane unintentionally or warn you about an imminent front collision. Other aids including a 360-degree parking camera, forward collision mitigation (a system that brakes when it senses an impending collision) and an automatic parking system are all on the menu.

If Fisker can stick to its proposed sub-$40,000 price point, the 2022 Fisker Ocean could be an intriguing choice for a small all-electric SUV. Unfortunately, like a lot of automakers lately, Fisker is releasing the pricey versions first. It means we get an early look at all the top-tier features, but the first models to market will have price tags closer to $70,000. Patience, it seems, will be the name of the game.