Fisker to return under new ownership

Defunct automotive brand Fisker is set to be reborn under the new name of Elux. The company is expected to be re-established in 2016, with its new Chinese owners hoping to compete with electric-focused brands like BMW and Tesla.

Fisker, originally established in California in 2007, was famous for producing the high-performance hybrid-electric Karma. As a range extended sports car, it was arguably a few of years ahead of its time.

Our drive in the plug-in hybrid confirmed that two-electric motors and a four-cylinder petrol engine was more than a match for most large capacity sports cars. A whopping 981lb ft available from 0rpm helped, making for rapid progress at all speeds.

>Read - Driven: Fisker Karma

Despite building a genuinely exciting car, Fisker’s target of 100,000 sales appeared too optimistic. The recession, the closure of its battery supplier and the loss of 200 cars in a hurricane no doubt hindered the carmaker’s chances further.

Fast-forward to 2015 and the future looks bright however, because new owners Wanxiang have not only purchased Fisker, but also A123 Systems, the original battery supplier. 

A123 has recently made headlines for suing Apple for pinching several of its top employees to develop an Apple car, but even so, with the might of Wanxiang behind it, the newly named Elux appears to be in good hands. 

Wanxiang Group purchased the bankrupt Fisker back in 2014. There’s no word as to when we could see a new car, but given the popularity of Tesla and BMW’s i brand, Elux might stand a far better chance in this second incarnation.