At the end of last week, we reported that Fisker was in talks with a carmaker about a deal that would give it the help it needs to survive. It wasn’t long before reports emerged that that carmaker is Nissan.
Initial reaction to the revelation was one of surprise, but the more you analyze the forces at play, the more sense an agreement makes. By investing in Fisker, Nissan would gain access to the electric truck Fisker is working on, and the fledgling EV maker would receive the cash it desperately needs to ensure its survival.
According to sources close to the talks, an agreement could be reached by the end of the month. Details are not yet known, not surprising since negotiations are ongoing and nothing has yet been finalized.
Reports do indicate that Nissan would invest $400 million in Fisker's pickup truck platform and build the Alaska model, which Fisker plans to produce from 2026, at one of its assembly plants in the U.S.
Unsurprisingly, Nissan would build its own electric pickup based on this structure. Nissan has U.S. assembly plants in Mississippi and Tennessee.
Neither Nissan nor Fisker is commenting at this time. Recall that the latter laid off 15 percent of its workforce at the end of last week. Fisker executives claim the company doesn’t have the resources to make it through 2024, so there’s an urgency to the current talks.
At Nissan, it's important to understand that the company's hands are freer following the renegotiation of its agreement with Renault last year. There are fewer restrictions on more “independent” development projects.