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Fisker

Fisker first appeared in 2005 with the Tramonto, a low-volume roadster designed by Henrik Fisker and developed by Fisker Coachbuild on a Mercedes-Benz SL base. The name gained wider recognition through Fisker Automotive and the Karma, a luxury plug-in hybrid sedan launched in 2011. After that first venture ended, Henrik Fisker established a new namesake company in 2016 and introduced the Ocean, an all-electric SUV whose production began in Austria in November 2022. These three vehicles show a distinctive progression: from exclusive coachbuilt cars, to premium electrified propulsion, and finally to a more accessible electric SUV. Their common thread is an expressive design language combined with technical features intended to set Fisker apart from established mainstream manufacturers. The Tramonto, Karma, and Ocean therefore represent different chapters rather than a single continuous product line.

3Tracked models
3Versions
2005 - 2022Covered years

Models from A to Z

K

Karma

1 variants
O

Ocean

1 variants
T

Tramonto

1 variants

Fisker overview

Fisker history

Fisker’s story began with Fisker Coachbuild, established in California in 2005 by Henrik Fisker and Bernhard Koehler. The Tramonto, shown that year, retained the mechanical foundations of a Mercedes-Benz SL from the R230 generation but received extensively redesigned bodywork and interior treatment aimed at creating an exclusive grand tourer. This coachbuilding activity preceded the creation of Fisker Automotive in 2007. The company revealed the Karma at the 2008 Detroit auto show and contracted Valmet Automotive in Finland to assemble it. Production started in 2011, but was placed on hold in July 2012 before Fisker Automotive disappeared in 2013. Assets connected with the Karma were later acquired by another business that became Karma Automotive, so the original Fisker Karma should not be confused with later Karma-branded vehicles. Henrik Fisker founded a new company in 2016. Its first vehicle, the Ocean, entered production on November 17, 2022, at Magna’s facility in Graz, Austria. Fisker’s timeline is therefore best understood as a series of ventures connected by the designer and by an emphasis on electrified mobility, not as one uninterrupted manufacturing operation.

Fisker positioning

Fisker positioned itself at the intersection of automotive design, premium vehicles, and electrification. The Tramonto followed a coachbuilt approach: a familiar Mercedes-Benz foundation was transformed through bespoke bodywork and very limited production. The Karma then combined the proportions of a luxury sports sedan with plug-in hybrid technology, using electric motors to drive the rear wheels while a gasoline engine acted as a range extender. With the Ocean, Fisker targeted a broader audience in the premium electric SUV segment. The vehicle emphasized outsourced manufacturing, an unconventional cabin presentation, an available solar roof on selected versions, and California Mode, which opens several glazed sections to create a more open-air feel. The brand’s intended market position should nevertheless be separated from its industrial structure. Fisker relied heavily on manufacturing and technology partners for production and key systems instead of operating a fully integrated manufacturing network. That distinction is important when comparing Fisker with larger established automakers.

Recognizing a Fisker in a photo

The Tramonto can be identified as a very low roadster with tightly sculpted body surfaces and several clues to its Mercedes-Benz SL R230 foundation, including its overall stance, windscreen, mirrors, and folding hardtop. Its bespoke bodywork and distinctive grille nevertheless make it look very different from the Mercedes donor car. The Karma is a large four-door sedan with an unusually low roofline, a long hood, a rounded rear section, and a luxury-oriented cabin. Its proportions and body details set it apart from conventional electric sedans. The Ocean is easier to recognize as a five-door SUV with a smooth front end, large wheels, and a cabin centered around a large configurable display. Cars fitted with the SolarSky roof and California Mode may also be identified by their broad glazed roof area and movable roof or window sections. Identification should account for the company timeline: an original Fisker Karma is not automatically the same vehicle as a later Karma Revero, even though the two share a historical connection.

Important Fisker models

The Tramonto represents Fisker’s first visible chapter. Presented in 2005 by Fisker Coachbuild, this Mercedes-Benz SL-based roadster already showed Henrik Fisker’s preference for sculpted shapes and low-volume construction. The Karma became the defining model of Fisker Automotive. Launched in 2011, the plug-in hybrid sedan paired dramatic styling with an electric drive system supported by a gasoline range extender. It gave Fisker international visibility despite a short industrial career. The Ocean opened a different chapter with an SUV body and fully electric propulsion. Production began in November 2022 at Magna’s facility in Graz, Austria. The model emphasized range, family usability, claimed material sustainability, and unusual equipment such as the SolarSky roof and California Mode. These three vehicles do not form a uniform range, but together they summarize Fisker’s development from exclusive coachbuilt cars to an electric vehicle intended for a broader market. They also show how design remained central while the company’s technical and commercial ambitions changed.

References