2023 Fisker Ocean Review | How Feature Creep & Stretched Budgets Can Kill A Promising EV 

Darn it, on the overlay the gross/usable specs are swapped. Sorry about that.

“We rented this one from Turo so we can help the owner who’s punching the air after last week’s price drop.” Alex saving buyers who should have been watching his channel one owner at a time.

I wish there was legislation requiring service tools to be available to the public. And if a company goes under, they should be required to open source all software so the community can fix issues. A car should not become e-waste if the company goes under.

Just wanted to chime in to say this is one of the best, most thorough reviews I’ve seen of this vehicle. Well done!

I’m an EV driver but it is rare that I see an EV that I really think is great looking. This is one of the best looking EVs ever released IMO. I hope they are able to continue in some capacity.

"The earth's oceans are powered by the sun and the moon, but this has a less celestial power source." 9:45. This is why Alex is the GOAT. The subtle humor expertly delivered is just too clean.

Yes, I’m an Ocean owner. Thank you for doing your research and presenting your opinion. Many other reviews seemed to be “click bait”, or the first time driving it. I am in Canada. I had a service issue (rear screen not working), so I sent in a service request on the Fisker app. Next day I had a call from a service person, two days later they were at my house for two hours, fixing the problem, and downloading 2.0 for me. Service tech was amazing, said they are full steam ahead developing 3.0 and 4.0 (Tesla at software version 12..? Self drive just coming out 15 years later? Truck is where, and how much?). So these growing pains are normal for a startup. My wife and I love driving it, and make excuses to go driving. Oh, and I have owned almost every type of car. My 2019 Volvo and BMW had software glitches, my Prius and Lexus had regenerative slip when going over manhole covers, and my brand new Volkswagen would totally refuse to even start sometimes. There is no perfect car. But please remember that some of the people doing reviews are doing it to get paid, just like news headlines. The nastier, the more dramatic, the more they make. Thanks again for a thorough review.

This reviewer is so much more articulate and easy to listen to than every other RU-vidr.

And reviews like this are why we needed them BEFORE launch.

I would still buy one if the future is clarified. Hope they get rescued. They could release a facelift model in 1-2 years with some improvements and then increase pricing again while staying competitive against Tesla and chinese companies.

I think this is one of the best, honest reviews I have seen on this vehicle. I've had my Ocean One for a little over two weeks and, to me, the solarsky roof and towing ability are the best features (right now) besides the exterior design. Overall, I am disappointed with the interior, storage and unavailable features. The compartments under the seat cannot even hold an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper and non-ventilated faux suede seats are already to hot for Florida.

I rarely comment on videos but I appreciate the in-depth review with a neutral take on all the vehicles features and issues, the best approach when reviewing a car!

It looked like the car had promise, but it was poorly executed. I hope they get things back on track. Great review Alex 👍🙂

Love the Ocean! Can't wait to get mine! I've had my reservation for a year and a half and have read/seen every article and review. I've driven it too. It is an amazing vehicle and everything I want in an EV... or any car for that matter. The Oceans features, color choices, and wheel options are one of big drivers for the Ocean! One of Teslas problems is that they only have a limited amount of choices.

Why doesn’t every EV have a solar roof? Using the sun to trickle charge while driving or parked sounds desirable.

I already did 6k miles since I got on Nov 10th; enjoying the California mode in Bay Area weather, now at 60’s to 70’s, and the pleasant spring blossoms. Such a smooth ride in Fisker Ocean than Tesla’s, even after 10 yrs in making couldn’t get their build quality anywhere close to this. My Ocean is now more awesome with 2.0 software update & look forward for next software updates. It’s all worth every penny …

It’s such a beautiful car. The solar panel might not help much with range but it looks incredibly cool from inside and outside.

Thank you for a fair, comprehensive and informative review.

I love my Ocean One and find the seats very comfortable. My daughter loves the adjustable rear seats, the WiFi and the spacious space. From a happy Ocean owner in Switzerland.

This could be one of the best-selling cars in America. How? Apple acquires it and relaunches it as Apple Car, and obviously overhauls the software. Then releases the Pear and Alaska. Would be massive. The range, speed, and design aesthetic are already top notch. Add apple’s unlimited marketing dollars and fanbase and look out, would be massive

I hope they stick around cause the Fisker Pear design and features looks amazing. The front bench seat is an option every car should have. And the Pear rear hatch and front trunk is great

Even at $24,000, it's too scary. The company really seems done. Edit: And the 12-volt battery dying and crashing systems in 2,500 miles is absolutely unacceptable.

The most thought out, comprehensive, and honest review of the Ocean on RU-vid. I really want this company to survive, it’s design features are light years ahead of Tesla and way more user friendly. I agree, it could have been left in the oven for a little longer to get 90% of the software bugs worked out before release . If I had a crystal ball and could see five years into the future to see if Fisker is a Legitimate EV manufacturer, I’d buy the discounted 2023 Ocean Extreme for $36,500 without hesitation..In Big Sur Blue!!

Here in Las Vegas, NV I saw someone with a specialty plate letting everyone know that they got the "1stOne" 😐😬 It's too bad, because its a great looking vehicle.

Extremely well done and thank you. I was considering buying a brand new 2023 but even at $37,500 the fear of their future and warranty plus software update availability has me sitting on the fence. As does the 12 volt battery and the fact you need a factory reset when you replace the 12 volt.

I am one of those who cancelled my Ocean One and donated $5k to the Fisker fund. I am glad I did. The laggy software, the missing features, the compromised driving dynamics, the lack of storage, the seats, the list goes on and on. Yes, $5k was an expensive lesson learned but a lot better than the $70k others have eaten learning the same lesson.

Alex is the best reviewer - hands down. I drove the Ocean & I liked it. The SW was clearly early but the bigger concern is finances. My next car will be an EV, probably by the end of summer/early fall. I was hoping the Ocean would mature by then but it certainly doesn't look good for Fisker as a company. Too bad as the Ocean looks great in person. As of now, the model Y is in the lead

I own a Ocean Extreme, which replaced my Jaguar XE R-Sport 35t that you helped me pick out! I think you're spot on about feature creep on the ocean, plus platform creep with the pear, Alaska and ronen. Not too mention launching the ocean across the globe simultaneously... The chassis dynamics are really good on the Ocean, but like you mention, when you push it, it's under dampened and under sway bared... For example, there's one freeway to freeway interchange that would upset the XE's chassis at around 70mph, but the ocean is completely stable at 75mph+. However, the ocean doesn't like quick steering transitions, and is not particularly nimble. I would love to see an upgrade option in the future with more power in the rear motor, dynamic dampers and sway bars, and sportier, more adjustable bucket seats. All that said, like you mentioned a few times, this will all require Fisker 3.0, hopefully with new management.

I've had my Ocean One since September 2023 and really, really love this car. Yes, the software and interface can be maddening. So is the problematic key FOB and 12V drain. But I often grab the keys and take it out for a spin with no destination in mind and it always brings a smile to my face. Fisker needs new management across the board. Clean house and get people in there that know what they are doing.

It’s an amazing looking suv. Interior looks amazing and now the prices are competitive with everybody else. Sounds like the software still needs some tweaks, but common with a ground up system. I think Fisher‘s biggest problem was advertisement. probably 90% of the people never heard of Fisker ocean. I’ve rarely seen advertisement.

Alex summed it up very well in terms of feature selection at the end. When I was watching the video I had the same thought that a lot of the flashy features were just unnecessary and came from lack of/bad leadership decisions.

Great and thorough review as always Alex! Not sure if it was just the lighting or weather making it an illusion but I really like that satin / semi-gloss paintwork on this car.

Someone with sense finally said what I've been saying. The 500 limit on boost mode makes tons of sense. Those all out launches are so hard on too many components, plus it gets old. It's like a cool party trick when you get the car, but I can't imagine most people are launching their EV's daily.

9:56 I think you mixed up the usable and gross battery specs, otherwise great review!

I had high hopes for this knowing Magna would build it, but maybe Fisker was too involved in the R&D… I hope owners at least get some kind of settlement. Imagine buying a car and within 1 year it drops 60% in value in addition to not being able to service…

While this car company is DOA, Alex shines as an outstanding and legit car reviewer!! Excellent level of detail and perspective.

Just finished watching your video. It's a fair assement. As a Fisker Ocean owner, I like my car very much. It certainly gave me the anxiety when I got this pre-ordered Ultra version. But after the 2.0 upgrade and the subsequent PKC module upgrade, the car hasn't given me any headache. I suspect the first batch of the 2023 Oceans are lemon. My ultra was built after that and delivered in late February. Yes I agree that some of the designs are not practical. Nevertheless, the owners of the car believe the car differentiates itself from the rest of the EVs. Many things have happened at Fisker since I got the car. I just like to drive this car until the wheels fall off.

I accidentally ran into Henrick Fisker doing a Karma photoshoot in Vancouver. He was standing in a parking lot I cross on my way to work back in 2011 or so, and there was a Karma right there. I asked "Hey, that's a Fisker Karma, right?" and he said yes and absolutely nothing else.

I own a One, been sitting in my garage since 11/23. It's the same configuration as the one in the video but with Maliblu seats, nice looking vehicle. It has 35 miles and works really great for folding my laundry. Supremely disappointed in the way things turned out. I understand early adoption and I was an early Tesla owner so I get it when it comes to rolling software and functionality out, but the entire process from delivery to now has been a complete mess. Everything is hoakie, the key FOB which is a total mess, to the roll back, to the alerts, massive vampire drain, 12V battery nightmare, etc. Fisker, 100% should have waited to delivery the One's and at the very least dialed in the basic software functionality prior to delivery. The thing that gets me the most as being an early investor is the lack of customer service or (ass kissing) with Fisker knowing this car is fractional at best, in my opinion we should have been made whole before anything else was done. We would have been the best advocates for the business and future sales, but nope I have a 72K laundry table and storage unit. Well you live and you learn, was kinda hard to tell how this one was going to play out, but rode the wave and got smashed on the reef. Fingers crossed I will still get some service and the 2.0 update, looking bleak though.

Thanks you for your honest review. I'm ocean one owner. You are right the car needs little work.

Why do people like solar panel car roofs so much?100 miles over 5 months = 240 miles over a year, which is ~240*0.30/3=$24 per year of savings assuming 30 cents per kwt for electricity (a lot of states have it cheaper, so the number would only go down), and assuming 3miles per kwt efficiency. It's gonna take a REALLY long time to pay off for that sunroof panel..Or, if someone drives 15k miles per year, it's only 240/15000*100=1.6 1.6%efficiency gain (in reality a little less because this would also add a little extra weight) I get the fact that this is kinda cool (although it blocks visibility from inside comparing to regular sunroof), but practically I don't see it being viable any time soon.

You always do the best reviews Alex. Objective, well detailed, and you actually have a good feel for driving dynamics. So many reviewers are obsessed with infotainment only. cough cough Marques iPhone guy....

They have a battery problem issue as well. My boss has one. Went on vacation for 2 weeks, battery was completely dead. Okay tried to charge it. System wouldn’t allow it to do that. Car for that amount of money, forget it.

But the Genesis GV60 Performance has a boost mode, with unlimited usage... Seems really stupid to put a lifetime limit on the Ocean and it's not like 0-60 time is cut by 2 seconds.

Thank you for a real review from a real auto reviewer (looking at you Marques). Unfortunately, it's reviews like this that were needed much more early on.

Beautiful vehicle. Hope they stay in business.

This IS what a thorough review is. Don't know why people are hailing mkbhd for giving his "thorough" review of the car

I have replaced the 12V battery in just about every car I have owned, at least 5 different cars. I always replaced it myself. I never had to have a dealer recalibrate anything, nor have any features stopped working just because it was not recalibrated. The worst thing was having to reset the clock.

I absolutely love driving my Ocean One. It’s a unique car and still makes me smile. 85 degrees in NC and Cali mode is so fun!

I want Alex to buy one used and drive it till the literal wheels fall off. The thought of following him in the ownership experience would be incredibly entertaining for me.

I saved my money strategically for years, reserved an Ultra in 2022, put down 20k, and then all this happened after a month of ownership. I feel so stupid, as well as deceived, after being put in this position. I don’t exactly have enough money to go around making 60k mistakes, and now my family will have to pay the price

FAST (the diagnostic tool) requires authentication with third party cloud servers. When they go BK, even if you have the diagnostic tool, it will be impossible to re calibrate these issues after 12v replacement due to the servers likely going down. It is not a matter of if but when you won't be able to use features in this vehicle.

Great, honest, "to the point" review. I love my ONE, but yes, it has bugs.

32m10s Yes, I too enjoy a firm steering rack ! Seriously though, the vehicle is beautiful and looks amazing, yes its quirky but that range is pretty good ! Only time will tell how it holds up ! Looks wise its great, but it definitely has some strange things that dont seem totally thought out.

You got my attention when you went mean girls about making fetch happen. LMAO. I had to rewind to ensure I heard that correctly.

Alex, legit question here. You said this was better than the I-Pace … what are you basing that on? I get that it’s better for road tripping based on range and charge speed, but as we know 90% of charging is at home. IIRC, nearly every ipace review mentioned how well it drives and handles, it has adaptive air suspension, much nicer interior, CarPlay, nicer physical controls for all important features, more adjustable seats, more cargo space, a small frunk, and acceleration is only .1s slower (.3 in Fisker boost mode) but both are extremely quick. Not to mention, the Jag has a dealer network to fix issues and give you a loaner car. I’m just not sure I understand it, unless of course you road trip constantly. I do think California Mode is super cool, if it worked of course ;) Thanks and keep up the great work!

I own a One. Few odd design features. Regen braking needs adjusting. I have a few odd errors and mild computer issues. But in all I really like (not love) this car. As for cost, the only comparable is a Tesla model Y. I had two and hated them. So $68000 for my Ocean One (when I ordered it in 2022) was alright. Minor tweaks and fixed software and this is a great car. Problem is the management. Money wont fix the problem. New owners who kick out the Fiskers is required in any solution (likely after bankruptcy.)

I agree. I dont ANY car company to go under or away. No argument some should do better.

Too bad about the financial problems... I thought it was one of the best-looking and designed EVs coming into the marketplace... though, I'm sure quite a few more start-up EVs are going in the same direction shortly.

Good review, couple points. Majority of Ocean One's were committed to in 2022 under the old tax incentive program so unless your provider made a bad buy, incentive was applied to that vehicle you drove. Fully Loaded Model Y performance at that time was ~80,000. Tesla has moderated its pricing thrice or more since then due to explicitly competitors like Fisker bringing to market more competitive opportunities. The proper comparison for value would be the Ocean Ultra trim vs Model Y Performance if the considering factors are range, HP & 0-60mph.

Okay there's a lot of dumb things about this car but I gotta say I LOVE that solar roof. Eating trays are pretty cool too, wish more cars had those for the passengers for long road trips. I thought the rotating infotainment was nifty, until you said it can only be vertical while driving. Also I know these reviews are aimed at people buying a car, but it's cool to see how the cars fair in a rental situation. Also also, not that any EV Startups are reading this, but creating a new product 101: dont wait (or spend) until you think your product is perfect. Get it to like 70% of what you want, and then release it and TAKE FEEDBACK to make it better. Fiskar put way too much into inital models that could have been added later with more feedback and more money.

This reminds me of a longer and wider Range Rover Evoque.

People are upset because they advertised for a long time 550 HP, not 468 HP. They are basically over -driving the motor for boost mode. Fisker kept this secret until after the many people gave their non-refundable deposit for an Ocean One. It's bait and switch. Fisker oversold and under delivered. Bait and switch is how a lot of us see it.

What about the decent range when compared to other EVs?

Thank you for being honest, and I will believe you much more than I would the other guy who has only reviewed 40 cars since he started his auto channel. MQB is far from an expert, likable guy but shouldn't be considered anywhere close to an authority on cars, no one should listen to Marquez about cars, he's super limited, a novice. Having access due to RU-vid popularity doesn't mean you know what you're talking about, so please REAL CAR REVIEWERS put him in his place. Thanks again Alex.🙏🏾

The renters broke the air vents. The amount of people who wont say "hey google, how do I adjust air vents in this car" is nuts.

First time watching the channel, very well and immaculately done. Got a new fan. Thank you for your detailed review.

Beauty is only skin deep. Tesla - The font is too small makes national headlines. Fisker - All warning light are on, do not worry about it.

I haven't driven an Ocean, but from that perspective at least it feels like you nailed this review

Did Alex just casually drop in "make fetch happen" in the closing thoughts? A true professional.

If Fisker doesn't find a financial backer in the Middle East the way Lucid Motor did then it will be sad to see it go away. However the real life has its adjustments. History has shown that hundreds of very unique and promising car manufacturers went extincts in the beginning of XXth century and some of them were plagued with problems in the USA until the 70-80ties when the last traditional automaker AMC got bought by Chrysler. In the EV transition the fight for survival is reviving those old long gone days of carmakers' consolidation, buyout, bunkrupcy.

I think for what it offers it’s decent Besides there are much worse EVs from established brands. I’d gamble and take the fisker as it’s more interesting to look at and it’s fast and fun to drive.

I had such high hopes for Fiskar this time. Its an attractive CUV and had so much potential.

The 500 boost mode limit seems silly. I think your average person would leave it in eco, maybe sport, and never even come close. So why stress them out with a counter? Eating the 0.01% increase in warranty claims from heavy use by a small handful of people is much better than the PR hit.

Very good looking vehicle. I saw one on the road yesterday and it looks better in person. It's the only EV with a solar roof. Too bad the financial position might kill this brand.

I hope somehow, someway Fisker makes it.

nice design. That's all. Its too bad, was hoping for it to do well as competition is good in this segment.

Yes they should have made the screen useable in either orientation all the time. The bottom air conditioner controls should adjust up whenever screen is in horizontal

I think its an awesome vehicle. They will get an investor to jump in soon. When they priced it Model Y was around the same amount. A lot of people are hoping they fail, which is sick.

Finally an informative & fair review of the Ocean. Nice work!

I love my FOO ❤

Financial future is in doubt without that last big cash infusion. The influencers pushing this vehicle are bordering on irresponsible. A really iffy purchase of a really iffy company.

Just too many detailed accessories that cost money for no justifiable reason. Munro would shave off 20K$ of unnecessary gadgets, starting with the screen.

Appreciate the heads-up on Fisker's financials, but have to wonder why no similar intro to the Rivian R2? The R2 factory hasn't even been built yet, and Rivian is burning through its billions at a fast pace.

For clarity regarding “Boost Mode”: You can boost as much as you want. The 500 limit applies to the warrantee only. Going over 500 boosts will void the warrantee but you can boost as long as you want.

I had one reserved, glad I canceled in 2022. I wonder if Magna could buy them up and start their own marque. They already build the thing.

I’m just waiting to hear of that rotating screen (which actually sometimes hesitates while turning) freezing up in winter… at 45 degrees and blocking something important!

At 1:27 in the video, when the lights go off, the wipers move! 😮 Is that a bug or a feature?

"We rented this one from Turo so you don't have to" is crazyyyyyyy 🤣🤣😭😭 You're funny Alex, That made my day 🤣🤣😭😭😭

They sell the extreme as the price of a model Y rear-wheel drive. Which is crazy competitive, there might be some people risk it idk

Hope they get bought the fisker line up looks really good

My take-away of this video is Alex reviewed a modern day electrified Yugo.

lol equally good as an april fools joke....

Excellent vehicle for a family. Good seats,door handles and carpets. Lovely sense of ennui. I predict a sales leader.

They should've started with Alaska, actually. The SUV market was already saturated. The midsize EV truck space is extremely limited. A large portion of EV truck owners are first-time truckers because of the EV aspect. People love trucks but are swayed because of size and general maintenance and fuel inefficiencies. Also, I suspect truck buyers would be more likely to forgive software quirks and bugs. There are only 4 real EV trucks out now (Rivian, Ford, Hummer and Cybertruck - Silverado is fleet only, which means its not out for consumers), but countless EV SUVs. Anyway, they didn't launch with the Alaska, they did the Ocean and here we are.

Alex great video, loved this video. I agree and spot on that it could survive under a company like Jaguar if they can acquire them. It’s a sad story that they seem that they will not make it.

I have been interested in this car since I saw it in a video a few years ago. When they cut the price in half I was really tempted, but I can only imagine what insurance would cost for this now. So close, yet so far.

Even thought this just came out I’ve seen at least 3 of them on the roads in Dallas area

Fisker...FSRN.. Rising 2:%® Today. Dealerships in Europe and North America with many selling out in March. Ocean Suv EVs with 4 unique features and longest range in it's class. Recent IF Design Award winner for Best Electric SUV 2024. Thumbs Up video/ Comments.. Thanks for the Review. The Ocean making Huge Waves in the EV sector nearing 7,000 Unit sales.

I will buy one. Hope