[pythagoras]

Unbeknownst to many of you, one member of this forum is pretty far along on an 'owner face pile' website where Fisker owners can register their cars with photos and comments, easily browsable by prospective customers as an image array. Progress is limited as he's the only one skilled at building such a cool website from scratch.

But here's something else we can do together. Let's prepare an op-ed or open letter to be published in at least one major national newspaper or website that consistently covers Fisker. I'm sure we can get several dozen owners and investors to sign.

I'm sure it would be trivial getting into one of the Delaware newspapers but I'll let you all make other suggestions.

My sister and dad do editorial letter writing as a hobby and regularly make it into their big city newspapers.

On the thread below, please draft what you'd like to say or refute to the world about Fisker. This isn't the Fisker PR department so no need to pull punches, yet we should ask Americans to pull together in support of both its new auto companies. Don't know about you all but I'm most incisive when angry!

P.S. Did you all know there was a Ford vs Chevy fight in my high school parking lot? That's how patriotic we used to be!

 

[dennis]

Here's an op-ed piece I wrote after visiting Fisker HQ in October. Unfortunately they never got it placed. Some of it is out of date (references to Henrik, presidential election is past), but the sentiments remain the same...

Cut Fisker Some Slack

It has become popular for the Republican presidential ticket and various Internet bloggers to bash Fisker Automotive and brand it as a “loser”. As a proud owner of a 2012 Fisker Karma with 7000 miles on it, I say it is time to step back, chronicle what Fisker Automotive has achieved in both technology and car design, and cut them some slack.

I am a retired Silicon Valley technologist who had executive roles in three startups, two of which came to market with successful IPO’s and one which failed. While bringing a new technology product to market in a venture capital backed startup is a daunting task, it pales in comparison to starting a new automobile company and delivering its first car model. Multiple complex hardware and software systems, safety and longevity requirements, governmental regulations that differ by geography, setting up worldwide distribution and service, the task list goes on and on. It is amazing that anyone would attempt such an undertaking.

Henrik Fisker did, and he has succeeded in delivering both the world’s most beautiful 4-door sedan and a breakthrough electric vehicle with extended range. More than 1500 Karmas have been delivered to customers in the U.S. and Europe in the past 10 months. A recent survey of Karma owners found that they are averaging 125 mpg. Several owners have driven then cars more than 18,000 miles so far this year.

The Karma drivetrain is one of only three Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicle platforms currently in the marketplace. The other two are the Chevrolet Volt and the Toyota Plugin Prius. Yes, it had some teething problems, with two car fires (unrelated to the battery), two recalls and a battery replacement program initiated by its supplier. Those issues are not unexpected for a startup manufacturer delivering its first car based on breakthrough new technology, and Fisker Automotive has successfully addressed all of them.

I have been a certified car nut since about age 7. I’ve placed deposits on ten different cars more than a year in advance of when they were first sold to customers and then taken delivery of a very early example of each one of them. They range from a 1978 BMW 733i to a 2012 McLaren MP4-12C. Every one of these cars had failures, glitches, recalls, software upgrades, re-engineered parts, etc. It is the price early adopters pay for getting access to breakthrough designs and technologies before the general marketplace becomes aware of them. So I wasn’t surprised nor upset when these inconveniences happened with my Fisker Karma – I expected it. With software upgrades and a few new parts, my Karma is now very reliable and is the car I drive most days.

And what an amazing car it is. The PHEV drivetrain smoothly and seamlessly delivers battery or engine/generator supplied power with both regenerative and friction braking. The handling is superb, with a low center of gravity resulting in better skidpad results than a BMW 750iL. And among all of the automobiles I have owned over the past 50 years, none has generated more discussion and positive feedback from strangers who stop me than the Karma. Men, women, young, old, it doesn’t matter. They uniformly praise the design of the car and marvel at the technology that is underneath the beautiful skin. Henrik Fisker deserves to be proud, and should be celebrated for creating American jobs and leading us down the road away from dependency on imported oil.

So please look past the words of the candidates and bloggers, find out the truth about the car from happy owners like me, and cut him some slack.

 

[Nin ja]

I have to admit, the Fisker Drive train is like nothing else. Accelartion is smooth and nothing else feels like it, not even the model S with all its extra accelation. Like you Dennis, I've had serveral super cars and even my 2012 Audi R8, probably the most refined ride I've ever owned, does not compare.

Dennis you captured and summarized the situation pretty well. I would suggest we get this out in some op-ed and get the word out -- any FB who have newspaper contacts?

 

[EVer1]

Tell us how we can help, and what to do! It is time for the actual owners of the cars, not the automotive (and otherwise) press to be heard.

Yes, we've had glitches with the car - who hasn't with a new car? Not to say a new model? Add to that a new brand. Glitches were to be expected. But darn few of us have sold our cars, most of us drive them daily as our preferred ride. With a lifetime 191 mpg, not only do I like my car, I feel good about the direction I've moved in gas consumption. That is the message I'd like to deliver.

 

[Weird Fishes]

Great letter, dennis!! It's a shame it didn't get placed anywhere.

 

[Ira]

Dennis - you da man! Because you were so gracious to lend us your car for our local Children's Holiday Parade, I've joined the ranks as a proud owner of one of the most beautiful cars in the world. It's an engineering marvel. The only problem I've had is these mysterious fingerprints that appear on the windows after it's been parked in downtown.

Thank you!

 

[pythagoras]

Dennis in light of the congressional hearing I'm polishing up a longer editorial of my own but yours is shorter with strong details. Think you could bring it up to date and publish it somewhere. I'm thinking Huffington Post and/or Wilmington News Journal for mine.