STA, 16 October 2020 - Magna International, the Canadian-Austrian automotive multinational, announced it would start producing Fisker Ocean, an electric SUV, in 2022. According to unofficial reports by the Austrian Kleine Zeitung, the car would be assembled in Magna's plants in Graz, Austria, and in Hoče, near Maribor, starting off with 50,000 vehicles a year.
Magna has said in a press release that the car would be manufactured exclusively by Magna in Europe and that launch of production is slated for the fourth quarter of 2022.
Magna is yet to confirm the Kleine Zeitung's reports about assembly location, but the Maribor-based paper Večer corroborated the report.
Večer says that this is also the reason why Magna is rushing to get the relevant environmental approvals to expand its paint shop in Hoče, which would increase its capacity to 100,000 cars a year.
The paint shop in Hoče has been laid still in the spring due to the coronavirus epidemic, with the majority of its 200 employees working in Graz.
Kleine Zeitung cites unofficial sources that 50,000 Fisker Oceans a year would be produced by Magna in the initial phase. The paper comments that the deal has put Graz at the centre of e-mobility.
Magna president Swamy Kotagiri was cited in the press release as saying that the deal was "a great example of our strategy to leverage our strong portfolio to scale for future mobility needs and utilize our full vehicle engineering and manufacturing capabilities.
"This is a unique competitive position for us, particularly with new mobility players and original equipment manufacturers seeking to expand their electrified offerings," Kotagiri said.
A response also came from Slovenian Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, who tweeted that cooperation with Fisker, the biggest competitor of Tesla, is a great opportunity for Slovenia to develop green sustainable technologies that will impact global markets and create entry opportunities for creative, green and smart companies.
Fisker, based in Los Angeles, was founded by Henrik Fisker, a reputable car designer who has previously worked with BMW and Aston Martin, among others.
