WhereIsAtlas · Automotive

Fisker

The luxury EV startup that promised a sustainable car — and collapsed into bankruptcy in 2024

Defunct — Fisker was a luxury electric-vehicle startup founded in 2016 by designer Henrik Fisker, known for the Ocean SUV. It ran into deep production and financial trouble and filed for bankruptcy in 2024 — one of the most prominent EV startup collapses.

Fisker was founded in 2016 by the celebrated car designer Henrik Fisker, who had previously designed cars for BMW and Aston Martin and had launched an earlier, failed EV venture. The new Fisker set out to make an affordable, stylish electric SUV called the Ocean, with an asset-light manufacturing model — outsourcing production to a partner rather than building its own factories.

The Ocean SUV generated excitement and attracted thousands of reservations. But Fisker struggled with production delays, quality problems and the enormous financial demands of the EV business. Cash ran out, and the company failed to secure the funding it needed.

In 2024, Fisker filed for bankruptcy. The collapse was a high-profile example of the difficulties facing a wave of EV startups that promised to disrupt the auto industry but raced through capital trying to deliver. The Ocean briefly reached customers, but Fisker could not survive.

Quick facts

Founded
2016, by Henrik Fisker
Model
The Ocean electric SUV
Strategy
Asset-light (outsourced manufacturing)
The promise
An affordable, stylish electric car
The fall
Production delays, quality issues, cash ran out
Bankruptcy
2024
Legacy
A prominent EV startup collapse

Lineage — where the name went

Two companies, one name and one founder — Fisker Automotive, which failed in 2013, and Fisker Inc., which failed in 2024.

  1. 2005 — Henrik Fisker founded Fisker Coachbuild (with Bernhard Koehler, after both left Aston Martin)
  2. Henrik Fisker married Geeta Gupta-Fisker (his wife, and co-founder at Fisker Inc.)
  3. 2016 — Geeta Gupta-Fisker founded Fisker Inc. (co-founder, CFO and COO)
  4. 2007 — Fisker Coachbuild was ancestor of Fisker Automotive (the coachbuilder gave way to a full car maker)
  5. 2007 — Henrik Fisker founded Fisker Automotive (with Bernhard Koehler and Quantum Technologies)
  6. 2011 — Fisker Automotive created Fisker Karma (the company's only production car)
  7. 2013 — Fisker Automotive created The 2013 bankruptcy (Chapter 11 filed on 22 November 2013)
  8. 2014 — Fisker Automotive acquired by Wanxiang Group (the assets, bought at auction in February 2014)
  9. 2016 — Wanxiang Group created Karma Automotive (the holding company for those assets, renamed)
  10. 2016 — Karma Automotive created Karma Revero (the Karma relaunched under a new name)
  11. 2016 — Henrik Fisker founded Fisker Inc. (using the Fisker name and logo he kept out of the 2014 auction)
  12. Fisker Inc. sibling-of Fisker Automotive (separate companies with the same founder; Fisker Inc. is not the legal continuation of Fisker Automotive)
  13. 2020 — Fisker Inc. created The 2020 listing (the reverse merger with Spartan Energy Acquisition Corp, a SPAC backed by Apollo)
  14. 2023 — Fisker Inc. created Fisker Ocean (the only car Fisker Inc. built)
  15. 2024 — Fisker Inc. created The 2024 bankruptcy (Chapter 11 filed in Delaware on 17 June 2024)
  16. 2024 — Fisker Ocean acquired by American Lease (the unsold cars, for about $46.25 million; the buyer is reported as American Lease and also as American Leasing)

Entities in this tree: Henrik Fisker (person); Geeta Gupta-Fisker (person); Fisker Coachbuild (company, 2005); Fisker Automotive (company, 2007); Fisker Karma (product, 2011); The 2013 bankruptcy (event, 2013); Wanxiang Group (company); Karma Automotive (company, 2016); Karma Revero (product, 2016); Fisker Inc. (company, 2016); The 2020 listing (event, 2020); Fisker Ocean (product, 2023); The 2024 bankruptcy (event, 2024); American Lease (company)

Sources

  1. Fisker Inc. - Wikipedia — Wikipedia (2026-09-05)
  2. Fisker bankruptcy - reporting — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisker_Inc.
  3. Fisker Automotive — Wikipedia (2026-09-20)

Related: theranos · ftx · blockbuster · borders · circuit city · compusa · enron