Fisker Karma

[SoCalGuy]

Fisker gets new CEO - Former head of GM's Chevy Volt program:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/14/us-fisker-ceo-idUSBRE87D0UQ20120814

 

[doug]

Fisker gets new CEO - Former head of GM's Chevy Volt program:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/14/us-fisker-ceo-idUSBRE87D0UQ20120814

Wait, what?? Didn't they just recent replace their founding CEO with that former baseball player?

 

[doug]

The Karma fire stuff went here: Fisker Fires

 

[SoCalGuy]

Wait, what?? Didn't they just recent replace their founding CEO with that former baseball player?

Yeah Tommy LaSorda - met him once, corresponded with him a few times - seems like a very solid, customer-oriented guy (in contrast to Henrik). My sense is that he was to be there on an interim basis only, although his title and some of the initial verbage in February during his appointment may have indicated otherwise. Not really sure what the story is, or if he had planned to be there only a few months, but time will tell. Net net, I see this appointment as a positive for Karma 1.5 or 2.0 and the new Atlantic. Having the driven the Volt, the investment GM made in NVH engineering was well worth it - fantastic car.

 

[donauker]

Wait, what?? Didn't they just recent replace their founding CEO with that former baseball player?

I take it this is a joke.

 

[AnOutsider]

I take it this is a joke.

you take doug as a serious

 

[donauker]

you take doug as a serious

Only occasionally

 

[doug]

Eh, just a small joke since these guys share the same name.

SoCal understood the point of my statement.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Felt a little sorry to see Fisker backers over on FiskerBuzz being bummed about this whole self-immolation affair. Also happened upon a certain AnOutsider and a smoothoperator duking it out over there too

To state the obvious, hope we Tesla fans will never have to deal with such incidents.

 

[bonnie]

smooth seems to be a bit contrarian on various forums, twitter, etc. Not sure why he turned so negative, but sheez.

 

[AnOutsider]

Tesla CEO Elon Musk Slams The Fisker Karma - Rumor Central

“It’s a mediocre product at a high price,” Musk said in an interview with Automobile Magazine. “The car looks very big, and yet it has no trunk space and is very cramped inside, particularly in the rear seats.”

“The fundamental problem with Henrik Fisker — he is a designer or stylist…he thinks the reason we don’t have electric cars is for lack of styling. This is not the reason. It’s fundamentally a technology problem. At the same time, you need to make it look good and feel good, because otherwise you’re going to have an impaired product. But just making something look like an electric car does not make it an electric car.”

Alluding to the fact that the Karma leans heavily on suppliers, Musk continued, “[Fisker] thinks the most important thing in the world — or the only important thing in the world — is design, so he outsourced the engineering and manufacturing. But the fact is…that’s the crux of the problem. And he’s outsourcing to people who don’t know how to solve the problem.”

Henrik responds:

“Firstly, to set the record straight, Fisker won in court…a judge threw out the case and awarded costs to Fisker.

Secondly, we are delighted that Elon thinks the Karma is a good-looking car.

Obviously, Tesla and Fisker are appealing to two different customer bases with two totally different technologies. Tesla has pure EV and Fisker has a range-extended offering with no compromise on range. We are proud to have delivered over 1000 Karmas to customers in the U.S. and Europe and are now moving into the [Gulf Cooperation Council countries] and Chinese global markets.

We wish Tesla all the best with their latest model and hope that both companies go from strength to strength as they challenge the automotive rulebook.”

 

[doug]

Hmm, I think this is one of those places where it would be better for Elon to not say anything. I don't think the Model S is loosing very many customers to Fisker. He's of course right about all the outsourcing and Fisker has a lot of room for improvement in terms of engineering. But appearing to bad mouth them isn't particularly helpful.

 

[AnOutsider]

Made even worse by Henrik taking the "high road" in response (not that there's much he can say to counter that anyway)

 

[Tommy]

I often have this discussion with my wife regarding her use of the word "mediocre" to describe a product. She insists the word means "average" and should not be taken in the context of meaning a product is inferior. She is right of course, however, I think most people today believe the word is used to describe a below average or inferior product. So, I can see how Elon used the word mediocre to describe the Fisker because on many levels it is an "average" product.

 

[TEG]

Q and A: Elon Musk, CEO, Tesla - Automobile Magazine

...It looks too much like a caricature of a Mexican Bandito,...

__________

 

[Larry Chanin]

Hmm, I think this is one of those places where it would be better for Elon to not say anything. I don't think the Model S is loosing very many customers to Fisker. He's of course right about all the outsourcing and Fisker has a lot of room for improvement in terms of engineering. But appearing to bad mouth them isn't particularly helpful.

Hi Doug,

What you say may be true, but its obvious that such an approach is not in Elon's DNA. I've always appreciated his spontaneity, honesty and boyish enthusiasm.

I believe in the inherent honesty of Elon's response, can we say the same of Henrik's response? :wink:

Larry

 

[Jaff]

Different cultures can alter the perceptions of certain words...the word "scheme", when used in business in North America, has a negative connotation..."scheme" is commonly used in business verbiage in Europe and carries no such stigma...

I often have this discussion with my wife regarding her use of the word "mediocre" to describe a product. She insists the word means "average" and should not be taken in the context of meaning a product is inferior. She is right of course, however, I think most people today believe the word is used to describe a below average or inferior product. So, I can see how Elon used the word mediocre to describe the Fisker because on many levels it is an "average" product.

 

[brianman]

What you say may be true, but its obvious that such an approach is not in Elon's DNA

Sounds exactly like Romney's commentary on Olympics security. Whether it's fact or you're asked, it's sometimes better to just not actually answer. People don't like to hear truths that upset their world view. For the Romney case, there was an additional tact issue (visitor in someone else's home/country).

 

[strider]

This makes Elon look juvenile and not fit to lead a successful company. At this point the market is plenty big for both to succeed. If and when Fisker and Tesla have large market shares then they can start sniping at each other. But for now be positive and let customers make their own decisions.

 

[Larry Chanin]

This makes Elon look juvenile and not fit to lead a successful company. At this point the market is plenty big for both to succeed. If and when Fisker and Tesla have large market shares then they can start sniping at each other. But for now be positive and let customers make their own decisions.

This has nothing to do with business, its purely personal. There was no premeditation here to win over customers, it was simply Elon spontaneously responding to a question and speaking the unvarnished truth as he sees it. Personally, I find that refreshing.

Larry