Does Fisker Build Its EV Cars In America?

The story of upstart electronic automobile maker Fisker sounds primed for Hollywood. The company was founded by Henrik Fisker, a legendary automobile designer who made his name crafting high-end vehicles for Aston Martin and BMW. As an EV maker, Fisker has been widely praised for its steadfast dedication to producing fully electronic eco-friendly automobiles made from sustainable, responsibly sourced materials and fueled, in part, by a solar panel built into the roof.

Noble ambitions aside, the company has struggled to make its green dream a reality, regularly missing production deadlines and failing to meet delivery windows for its first vehicle, the make-or-break Fisker Ocean. Perhaps more problematic is that production models of the Ocean have been met with less than enthusiastic reviews from some very reputable automobile publications, including Road & Track, which recommended readers buy pretty much any other car. Nonetheless, the Ocean did win the coveted Red Dot design award in 2023 for Best Electric Vehicle.

Reviews aside, Fisker is still riding a solid wave of goodwill as one of the few American automakers solely dedicated to manufacturing eco-friendly electronic vehicles. Yes, Fisker is very much an American automaker and is currently headquartered in sunny Anaheim, California. It seems, however, that Fisker cars are manufactured a long way from the company's home base. In fact, Fisker automobiles are not even manufactured in the United States, with the company reportedly building their custom electronic vehicles in Europe. 

If you're wondering where Fisker makes its vehicles in Europe, the Ocean is reportedly manufactured in Graz, Austria. Fisker chose to build its cars in the Austrian facility in part because the plant is carbon neutral. The European locale was also selected as part of a manufacturing deal Fisker struck with its production partner, Magna-Styer.

The original plan was for Fiskar to produce 42,000 Oceans in the Graz, Austria plant in 2023, but that's not how it turned out. The actual number of Oceans manufactured was apparently much lower. Despite the ongoing goodwill being sent its way, the news continues to be bad for the ambitious electronic vehicle upstart, with MotorTrend recently reporting that Fisker's production and sales shortages have left the company on the verge of bankruptcy. The company has also instituted wild price cuts for buying an Ocean too.

Fisker is reportedly searching for a partnership with a major automaker to stay afloat. However, the financial struggles are all the more upsetting as the company announced in August that it was nearing production on three new models  for next year, including the Pear "agile city SUV," the Alaska truck, and the Ronin sports car. Presumably, those vehicles were also palnned for production in the Graz, Austria plant, though Fisker has reportedly been shopping for U.S.-based partners to help produce its Alaska. Alas, it remains uncertain if we'll ever see any of those Fiskers of the future on the road.