Fisker’s loss narrows as EV deliveries begin despite supplier snags

Electric vehicle startup Fisker on Friday reported a second-quarter loss that was narrower than expected, despite struggling to get the electric Ocean SUV into full production during the period amid supplier issues.

Fisker produced just 1,022 Oceans in the second quarter, less than the 1,400 to 1,700 vehicles it had expected to make, and it cut its full-year production guidance in light of those lingering supply-chain challenges.

Fisker now expects its manufacturing partner, Magna International, to build 20,000 to 23,000 Oceans at its contract-manufacturing plant in Austria in 2023. That’s down significantly from 32,000 to 36,000 in its earlier guidance.

Fisker’s net loss for the quarter was $85.5 million, or 25 cents per share, narrower than the 28 cents per share expected by Wall Street analysts, according to Refinitiv consensus estimates.

Revenue was just $825,000, as Fisker managed to deliver just 11 Oceans to customers before quarter-end following the production delays. Wall Street had been expecting revenue to come in at $159.3 million, but CNBC isn’t comparing reported revenue to projections because of thin analyst coverage.

A year ago, Fisker reported a net loss of $106 million, or 36 cents a share, and about $10,000 in revenue.

Fisker had $521.8 million in cash on hand as of June 30, versus $652.5 million as of March 31. The EV maker raised an additional $300 million via a convertible note offering in July.

Fisker didn’t provide an update on the number of reservations it has for the Ocean and its upcoming models. It had about 65,000 reservations for the Ocean when it reported its first-quarter results in May. Fisker’s next model, a low-cost EV called the Pear, is expected to go into production at a Foxconn plant in Ohio in 2025.

Fisker at an event in California on Thursday presented three upcoming battery-electric models: The Pear, a small car expected to start at about $30,000 when it arrives in mid-2025; a high-end luxury sports car called the Ronin with an expected price of $385,000; and a new pickup truck called the Alaska, based on an extended version of the Ocean’s platform and due in 2025 with a starting price just over $45,000.

Fisker had previously announced the Pear and Ronin, but the Alaska was shown for the first time on Thursday. Fisker is now taking reservations for all three of the upcoming models.

The company also previewed a new off-road package for the Ocean, called Force E. It’s expected to be available starting in the first quarter of 2024. Pricing wasn’t announced.