Fisker may drop Delaware for new sedan production
 | LaSorda: "The whole plan has changed." |
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NEW YORK -- Fisker Automotive may use other manufacturing options for its new sedan, called the Atlantic, besides the long-planned Wilmington, Del., facility.
In an interview here Tuesday night, recently installed Fisker CEO Tom LaSorda said, "The whole plan has changed."
"Wilmington is our primary site…but there are other options. We have to look at what's best for the company and the shareholders," LaSorda said.
A decision on where to build the Atlantic is expected by the end of summer, LaSorda said. That will put a serious delay in the launch of the car, which was to begin pilot production by the second half of this year.
If mothballed Wilmington is still determined to be the best plant site, LaSorda said the plant could be set up "really quickly."
"We just need to set up a paint shop," he said. LaSorda hinted that Wilmington could instead be used to build a third vehicle, on a different platform from the Atlantic.
The Atlantic, unveiled here, is projected to be a $50,000 to $60,000 extended-range plug-in hybrid sedan about the size of an Audi A5 or BMW 3-series.
Fisker Automotive announced that it had raised $132 million of private capital in March. It has not taken any Department of Energy money since May, funds which went toward development of the Karma.
But further drawdowns were expected to be allocated for production at Wilmington. By not taking more DOE money, Fisker has more flexibility as far as who might build the car, and where.
"We are looking at other strategic partnerships. Everything is possible. We will make this car with or without the DOE," said Fisker Executive Chairman Henrik Fisker. He declined to give specifics.
