Fisker will Partner with Existing Dealers in the United States and Canada

• The company initially used a direct sales model, but it will now sell exclusively through dealers.

• Fisker plans to have about 50 dealers operating in North America by the end of Q1.

• The brand will use a hybrid sales model in Europe, with dealers and direct sales.

While most EV startups and even a number of well-established automakers have either established or shown interest in direct sales business models, Fisker has decided to abandon this format in favour of teaming up with existing dealers.

After having sold the Ocean electric SUV directly to its customers for a few months now, the young automaker will put an end to its Tesla-inspired sales channel and pivot to an exclusively dealer-based model.

Fisker says it will partner with about fifty dealerships across the United States and Canada, as well as a similar amount in Europe, where the situation will be slightly different.

Indeed, the company will continue making direct sales in some parts of Europe, thus operating a hybrid sales model.

Back in North America, Fisker expects to have its dealer network up and running by the end of this year’s first quarter. The company says these dealers will use a no-haggle pricing strategy, where laws allow it.

This decision is reportedly motivated by the cooling of the EV market that has been observed over the last few months. By shifting sales to franchised partners, the company will be able to offload a part of its operating costs, which should help it continue the development of its future models, such as the PEAR compact EV.

In order to convince existing dealerships to add Fisker to their offerings, the company will not require separate installations, which means that Ocean SUVs will likely share showroom space with vehicles from other automakers.

In addition, Fisker has reportedly developed a corporate identity that will be easy to set up as a way to speed up the development of its network.

Fisker says partnering with dealers will allow its products to gain visibility among the public by making it easier for interested parties to see and experience the vehicles in person.

Despite this change in business model, Fisker says it will continue to operate and open new Fisker Lounges, which are factory-owned showrooms usually installed in the heart of large cities, such as Los Angeles and New York City.

Source: Carscoops