著名汽車設(shè)計(jì)師亨利克?菲斯克希望他的第二家電動(dòng)汽車初創(chuàng)企業(yè)菲斯克公司(Fisker Inc.)再創(chuàng)輝煌。
亨利克?菲斯克因其為寶馬(BMW)和阿斯頓?馬?。ˋston Martin)設(shè)計(jì)造型迷人的汽車而享負(fù)盛名。十年前,他創(chuàng)辦了第一家電動(dòng)汽車公司菲斯克汽車(Fisker Automotive),但最終以破產(chǎn)告終。因此,在此次重新創(chuàng)業(yè)時(shí),他計(jì)劃通過另一種策略來制造汽車及融資。
菲斯克不再像2012年那樣制造售價(jià)高達(dá)10萬美元的豪華電動(dòng)跑車,而是推出大眾款SUV,起售價(jià)不到4萬美元。此外,他不在自己的工廠里從零開始制造整車,而是計(jì)劃與其他汽車制造商合作生產(chǎn)零部件并裝配汽車。
此外,菲斯克周一宣布,他不會(huì)通過多輪私人融資籌集數(shù)十億美元,而是計(jì)劃迅速讓公司上市?!拔乙郧霸ㄟ^私人融資進(jìn)行籌資,但要籌集這么多資金,這樣的方法并不合適,”菲斯克在接受《財(cái)富》雜志采訪時(shí)表示?!盁o論出于何種原因,只要一輪融資推遲,產(chǎn)品上市就會(huì)推遲,因而就需要籌集更多資金。這種籌資方法行不通?!?/p>
菲斯克公司計(jì)劃通過尼古拉(Nikola)(另一家初創(chuàng)企業(yè)電動(dòng)卡車制造商)上月上市的類似捷徑,籌集10億美元資金。菲斯克并未按照傳統(tǒng)做法聘請(qǐng)華爾街投行出售新股,而是正與一家已經(jīng)上市的特殊目的收購公司斯巴達(dá)能源收購公司(Spartan Energy acquisition)進(jìn)行合并,后者由私人股本公司阿波羅全球管理公司(Apollo Global Management)支持。
此舉恰逢電動(dòng)汽車制造商股票市場走勢強(qiáng)勁之際。盡管一些公司的股價(jià)周一略有下滑,但特斯拉、Arcimoto和Workhorse等公司的股價(jià)今年仍有較大漲幅。2020年,特斯拉股價(jià)上漲了258%,而電動(dòng)貨車制造商Workhorse的股價(jià)上漲了5倍多。與此同時(shí),三輪電動(dòng)車制造商Arcimoto今年的股價(jià)上漲了234%。
菲斯克稱,一旦與斯巴達(dá)能源的交易完成(預(yù)計(jì)在第四季度完成),他將有充足資金將他的第一款汽車——名為菲斯克海洋(Fisker Ocean)的純電動(dòng)SUV——推向市場。菲斯克公司去年展示了該款純電動(dòng)SUV的原型樣車,希望明年開始生產(chǎn)。預(yù)計(jì)到2021年底,公司只能生產(chǎn)出幾輛。生產(chǎn)的這些車極有可能賣給名人客戶,如《權(quán)力的游戲》(Game of Thrones)的演員尼可拉?科斯特-瓦爾道。他也是菲斯克公司的投資者,曾發(fā)文稱贊這款即將上市的汽車非常環(huán)保。
菲斯克稱,公司將于2022年和2023年開始批量生產(chǎn)。此外,他還表示,公司還將實(shí)現(xiàn)一些積極的財(cái)務(wù)目標(biāo):2023年實(shí)現(xiàn)盈利,且現(xiàn)金流為正。
對(duì)于一家初創(chuàng)汽車制造商來說,這一目標(biāo)幾乎不可能實(shí)現(xiàn)。但菲斯克表示,這是有可能實(shí)現(xiàn)的,為了加快開發(fā)并降低成本,他正與全球各大汽車制造商商討一系列生產(chǎn)合作或外包協(xié)議。
菲斯克稱,公司正與幾家汽車制造商和零部件供應(yīng)商進(jìn)行“后期商討”,但他并未透露這些公司的名稱。這家初創(chuàng)企業(yè)將與其他公司合作開發(fā)一款滑板式底盤,即電動(dòng)汽車的底層,包括電池、電機(jī)和車輪。據(jù)Verge周一報(bào)道,根據(jù)提交給美國證券交易委員會(huì)的投資者介紹,菲斯克公司正與大眾汽車(Volkswagen)商討滑板式底盤合作開發(fā)事宜。
菲斯克公司計(jì)劃外包的其他部件包括轉(zhuǎn)向架、空調(diào)系統(tǒng),以及自動(dòng)駕駛硬件和軟件。公司將依靠其他公司的現(xiàn)有產(chǎn)能來制造汽車。菲斯克指出,當(dāng)今全球汽車行業(yè)產(chǎn)能已經(jīng)過剩20%,“對(duì)于任何一家電動(dòng)汽車初創(chuàng)企業(yè)來說,自建工廠都是愚蠢的。”
“你必須放棄自我,”菲斯克解釋道?!澳悴豢赡軗碛幸患铱v向一體化公司,不可能自己完成所有事情……汽車上的很多硬件最終都將成為商品,因此我們?cè)敢馀c其他人共享這些部件?!?/p>
菲斯克汽車將憑借其設(shè)計(jì)在競爭日益激烈的電動(dòng)汽車市場中脫穎而出,一些評(píng)論家認(rèn)為,市場領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者特斯拉推出的極簡主義汽車很無趣。菲斯克稱:“感性設(shè)計(jì)將在未來汽車市場備受矚目。無論汽車內(nèi)外部設(shè)計(jì),還是車內(nèi)顯示器用戶界面,以及與車的交互溝通方式,我們都將處于領(lǐng)先地位?!?/p>
菲斯克2012年推出的原創(chuàng)車型Karma,其外觀倍受贊譽(yù),但人們對(duì)其可靠性和性能褒貶不一。菲斯克承認(rèn),他的第一家公司做出了一些冒險(xiǎn)的嘗試,但并未得到回報(bào)。例如,一家主要電池供應(yīng)商破產(chǎn)。“我們有很多車迷,而且,其中大部分汽車仍在使用中,”菲斯克稱?!懊總€(gè)汽車品牌的發(fā)展都會(huì)經(jīng)歷起起伏伏,遭遇一些負(fù)面評(píng)價(jià),尤其是那些冒險(xiǎn)者、創(chuàng)新者?!?/p>
未來市場推廣主要取決于新車的可持續(xù)性,菲斯克汽車其中一些零部件由再生材料制成。菲斯克表示:“汽車行業(yè)還有很多事情要做,我們的目標(biāo)是制造世界上最可持續(xù)的汽車。這是我們的品牌支柱之一。我們希望為建設(shè)一個(gè)更清潔的世界貢獻(xiàn)自己的力量?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:Biz
著名汽車設(shè)計(jì)師亨利克?菲斯克希望他的第二家電動(dòng)汽車初創(chuàng)企業(yè)菲斯克公司(Fisker Inc.)再創(chuàng)輝煌。
亨利克?菲斯克因其為寶馬(BMW)和阿斯頓?馬?。ˋston Martin)設(shè)計(jì)造型迷人的汽車而享負(fù)盛名。十年前,他創(chuàng)辦了第一家電動(dòng)汽車公司菲斯克汽車(Fisker Automotive),但最終以破產(chǎn)告終。因此,在此次重新創(chuàng)業(yè)時(shí),他計(jì)劃通過另一種策略來制造汽車及融資。
菲斯克不再像2012年那樣制造售價(jià)高達(dá)10萬美元的豪華電動(dòng)跑車,而是推出大眾款SUV,起售價(jià)不到4萬美元。此外,他不在自己的工廠里從零開始制造整車,而是計(jì)劃與其他汽車制造商合作生產(chǎn)零部件并裝配汽車。
此外,菲斯克周一宣布,他不會(huì)通過多輪私人融資籌集數(shù)十億美元,而是計(jì)劃迅速讓公司上市?!拔乙郧霸ㄟ^私人融資進(jìn)行籌資,但要籌集這么多資金,這樣的方法并不合適,”菲斯克在接受《財(cái)富》雜志采訪時(shí)表示?!盁o論出于何種原因,只要一輪融資推遲,產(chǎn)品上市就會(huì)推遲,因而就需要籌集更多資金。這種籌資方法行不通?!?/p>
菲斯克公司計(jì)劃通過尼古拉(Nikola)(另一家初創(chuàng)企業(yè)電動(dòng)卡車制造商)上月上市的類似捷徑,籌集10億美元資金。菲斯克并未按照傳統(tǒng)做法聘請(qǐng)華爾街投行出售新股,而是正與一家已經(jīng)上市的特殊目的收購公司斯巴達(dá)能源收購公司(Spartan Energy acquisition)進(jìn)行合并,后者由私人股本公司阿波羅全球管理公司(Apollo Global Management)支持。
此舉恰逢電動(dòng)汽車制造商股票市場走勢強(qiáng)勁之際。盡管一些公司的股價(jià)周一略有下滑,但特斯拉、Arcimoto和Workhorse等公司的股價(jià)今年仍有較大漲幅。2020年,特斯拉股價(jià)上漲了258%,而電動(dòng)貨車制造商Workhorse的股價(jià)上漲了5倍多。與此同時(shí),三輪電動(dòng)車制造商Arcimoto今年的股價(jià)上漲了234%。
菲斯克稱,一旦與斯巴達(dá)能源的交易完成(預(yù)計(jì)在第四季度完成),他將有充足資金將他的第一款汽車——名為菲斯克海洋(Fisker Ocean)的純電動(dòng)SUV——推向市場。菲斯克公司去年展示了該款純電動(dòng)SUV的原型樣車,希望明年開始生產(chǎn)。預(yù)計(jì)到2021年底,公司只能生產(chǎn)出幾輛。生產(chǎn)的這些車極有可能賣給名人客戶,如《權(quán)力的游戲》(Game of Thrones)的演員尼可拉?科斯特-瓦爾道。他也是菲斯克公司的投資者,曾發(fā)文稱贊這款即將上市的汽車非常環(huán)保。
菲斯克稱,公司將于2022年和2023年開始批量生產(chǎn)。此外,他還表示,公司還將實(shí)現(xiàn)一些積極的財(cái)務(wù)目標(biāo):2023年實(shí)現(xiàn)盈利,且現(xiàn)金流為正。
對(duì)于一家初創(chuàng)汽車制造商來說,這一目標(biāo)幾乎不可能實(shí)現(xiàn)。但菲斯克表示,這是有可能實(shí)現(xiàn)的,為了加快開發(fā)并降低成本,他正與全球各大汽車制造商商討一系列生產(chǎn)合作或外包協(xié)議。
菲斯克稱,公司正與幾家汽車制造商和零部件供應(yīng)商進(jìn)行“后期商討”,但他并未透露這些公司的名稱。這家初創(chuàng)企業(yè)將與其他公司合作開發(fā)一款滑板式底盤,即電動(dòng)汽車的底層,包括電池、電機(jī)和車輪。據(jù)Verge周一報(bào)道,根據(jù)提交給美國證券交易委員會(huì)的投資者介紹,菲斯克公司正與大眾汽車(Volkswagen)商討滑板式底盤合作開發(fā)事宜。
菲斯克公司計(jì)劃外包的其他部件包括轉(zhuǎn)向架、空調(diào)系統(tǒng),以及自動(dòng)駕駛硬件和軟件。公司將依靠其他公司的現(xiàn)有產(chǎn)能來制造汽車。菲斯克指出,當(dāng)今全球汽車行業(yè)產(chǎn)能已經(jīng)過剩20%,“對(duì)于任何一家電動(dòng)汽車初創(chuàng)企業(yè)來說,自建工廠都是愚蠢的。”
“你必須放棄自我,”菲斯克解釋道?!澳悴豢赡軗碛幸患铱v向一體化公司,不可能自己完成所有事情……汽車上的很多硬件最終都將成為商品,因此我們?cè)敢馀c其他人共享這些部件?!?/p>
菲斯克汽車將憑借其設(shè)計(jì)在競爭日益激烈的電動(dòng)汽車市場中脫穎而出,一些評(píng)論家認(rèn)為,市場領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者特斯拉推出的極簡主義汽車很無趣。菲斯克稱:“感性設(shè)計(jì)將在未來汽車市場備受矚目。無論汽車內(nèi)外部設(shè)計(jì),還是車內(nèi)顯示器用戶界面,以及與車的交互溝通方式,我們都將處于領(lǐng)先地位?!?/p>
菲斯克2012年推出的原創(chuàng)車型Karma,其外觀倍受贊譽(yù),但人們對(duì)其可靠性和性能褒貶不一。菲斯克承認(rèn),他的第一家公司做出了一些冒險(xiǎn)的嘗試,但并未得到回報(bào)。例如,一家主要電池供應(yīng)商破產(chǎn)?!拔覀冇泻芏嘬嚸裕?,其中大部分汽車仍在使用中,”菲斯克稱?!懊總€(gè)汽車品牌的發(fā)展都會(huì)經(jīng)歷起起伏伏,遭遇一些負(fù)面評(píng)價(jià),尤其是那些冒險(xiǎn)者、創(chuàng)新者?!?/p>
未來市場推廣主要取決于新車的可持續(xù)性,菲斯克汽車其中一些零部件由再生材料制成。菲斯克表示:“汽車行業(yè)還有很多事情要做,我們的目標(biāo)是制造世界上最可持續(xù)的汽車。這是我們的品牌支柱之一。我們希望為建設(shè)一個(gè)更清潔的世界貢獻(xiàn)自己的力量?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:Biz
Star car designer Henrik Fisker hopes the second time’s the charm for his second electric car startup, Fisker Inc.
The man who made his reputation designing sexy cars for BMW and Aston Martin stumbled a decade ago with his first EV effort, Fisker Automotive, which ended up in bankruptcy. So for his new venture, he’s following a different strategy for both creating the car and financing it.
Instead of making a luxury electric sports car that costs $100,000, as he did in 2012, Fisker will sell a more popular design—an SUV—that starts at under $40,000. Also, instead of building the entire vehicle from scratch in his own factory, he plans to partner with other automakers for many parts and much of the assembly.
And, as Fisker announced on Monday, instead of trying to raise billions of dollars in multiple rounds of private financing, he plans to take the company public quickly. “Having done this before, I just don’t feel it’s a good idea to try and raise so much capital in private rounds,” Fisker tells Fortune. “One round can be delayed, for whatever reason, and that means your product launch gets delayed, which then means you need to raise more money. I just don’t feel this works.”
The company aims to raise $1 billion of backing using a shortcut that another upstart electric-car maker, Nikola, used to go public last month. Forgoing the traditional method of hiring a Wall Street investment bank to sell new shares, Fisker is merging with an already public special-purpose acquisition corporation called Spartan Energy Acquisition, which is backed by private equity firm Apollo Global Management.
The move comes amid a strong market for shares of electric-vehicle makers. Although the share price of some slid a bit on Monday, the stocks of companies like Tesla, Arcimoto, and Workhorse have still recorded large gains for the year. Tesla’s stock is up 258% in 2020 while electric-van maker Workhorse’s is up more than fivefold. Meanwhile, Arcimoto, which makes three-wheeled electric vehicles, has gained 234% this year.
Once the Spartan Energy deal closes, which is expected in the fourth quarter, Fisker says he will have all the money he needs to bring his first car—the all-electric SUV called the Fisker Ocean—to market. The company showed off a prototype last year and hopes to start production next year. Only a few deliveries are expected to be completed by the end of 2021. Most likely, those will go to celebrity customers like Game of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, an investor in the company who wrote an article praising the upcoming car for its environmentally friendly features.
The bulk of deliveries will start in 2022 and 2023, Fisker says. Additionally, he says, the company will have some aggressive financial targets to meet: becoming profitable and cash flow positive in 2023.
The boast seems almost impossible for a startup carmaker, but Fisker says it’s possible to achieve because he is partnering or outsourcing with major carmakers worldwide on various aspects of production to speed up development and reduce costs.
Fisker says the company is in “l(fā)ate-stage discussions” with several carmakers and parts suppliers, though he won’t name names. The upstart will partner with others on the so-called skateboard, the bottom layer of an electric vehicle that includes the battery, motors, and wheels. The startup is in discussion with Volkswagen for the skateboard, according to an investor presentation filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, The Verge reported on Monday.
Other parts Fisker plans to outsource include the steering rack, air conditioning system, and even autonomous driving hardware and software. And the company will lean on existing manufacturing capacity owned by others to build the cars. “It’s dumb for any EV startup to build their own plant,” he says citing 20% overcapacity in the global car industry today.
“You’ve got to give up your ego,” Fisker explains. “You can’t have a vertically integrated company where you do everything yourself…A lot of the hardware in vehicles is going to end up being a commodity, and therefore we are willing to share those parts with somebody else.”
Fisker’s cars will rely on their design to stand out in the increasingly crowded electric car market, in which some critics say market leader Tesla’s minimalist vehicles are boring. “Emotional design is going to be in the foreground of vehicle purchasing in the future,” Fisker says. “We’re going to be the leader in that, both inside and outside [vehicles] and also the entire user interface on the screens in the interior and how you communicate.”
The Karma, Fisker's original car in 2012, drew raves for its looks but got mixed reviews—at best—for reliability and performance. Fisker admits that some risks that his first company took didn’t pay off. A key battery supplier went bankrupt, for instance. “We have a lot of fans, and most of those cars are still on the road,” Fisker says. “Every car brand will go through certain ups and downs and some negative reviews, specifically if they take risks and are an innovator.”
A big part of the marketing push to come will rely on the new car’s sustainability, with some parts made from recycled materials. “The auto industry, we have a lot to do, and our aim is to make the world’s most sustainable vehicle,” Fisker says. “It’s one of our brand pillars. We want to contribute to a cleaner world.”