Things haven’t been looking good for Fisker Inc., which has halted production for six weeks and could file for bankruptcy soon.
Having Consumer Reports buy one of its electric vehicles didn’t help.
After driving the Fisker Ocean for two weeks, the publication’s testers praised the EV for a “truly innovative design,” superior cargo space and unique features such as a pull-out taco tray for eating on the go.
But beyond those few bright spots, the review was as harsh as, well, apparently the Ocean itself, which was described as “both nauseating and jarring.”
Here is some of what Consumer Reports wrote:
“So far, our experience with the Ocean is like ordering pizza at a new, buzzy restaurant, only to get a pie with undercooked dough and no sauce because the tomatoes are still growing. The tantalizing promise of the final product is right there in front of us, but it’s quite unappealing in its current state.”
“It’s inexcusable that safety and other features promised on the Ocean’s window sticker come and go, with their absences only occasionally accompanied by warning messages.”
“It feels like the Ocean’s software designers got some sadistic pleasure from programming new and different ways to prevent Bluetooth from connecting.”
Regenerative braking “is poorly tuned and difficult to modulate, a nauseating experience that called to mind childhood memories of driving with my Aunt Irene in her Buick LeSabre.”
“The standard cloth upholstery feels like a cheap polyester suit.”
“The touchscreen is slow — like, $99 kids tablet slow — and laggy, and touch sensitivity is all over the place.”
Consumer Reports also slammed Fisker for its $2,438 shipping fee, the most it’s ever been charged. Yet the $63,981 vehicle turned out to be an excellent value, because Fisker never cashed the publication’s check.
“They told us they couldn’t find it,” the review said.