2018 Fisker Emotion to debut next week – 9-minute ultra-fast charging, fully autonomous, 640 km EV range

The all-new Fisker Emotion electric car is set to make its world premiere at the Consumer Electrics Show in Las Vegas next week. This funky-looking EV’s claim to fame is its state-of-the-art graphene solid-state batteries that can receive 200 km of charge in under nine minutes.

Company boss, Henrik Fisker told Autocar that the ultra-fast charging is possible, because the employed batteries apparently have the highest energy density in the world, or 2.5 times that of lithium ion batteries. Fisker said that this technology will one day enable ranges of more than 800 km on a single charge and charging times as low as one minute – that’s faster than filling up a gas tank!

As for the battery’s construction, Fisker’s technology allows the packaging of bulk three-dimensional solid-state electrodes with 25 times more surface area than flat, thin-film solid-state electrodes, thus enabling fast charging and cold temperature operation.

The Emotion is also said to have a top speed of 260 km/h and features fully autonomous driving. It’s unclear at this point how extensive the self-driving system will be, but LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) will be fitted to the car. LIDAR is hidden in the foremost section of the car, in a darkened glass area just below the badge. It’s capable of mapping the Emotion’s environment in 3D.

As for the car itself, Fisker claimed that clever packaging allowed the team to maximise leg room and interior space. “The entire cabin has been moved forward very much, and we lowered the bonnet of the vehicle to get better aerodynamics. Because of the better packaging of an EV model, we have been able to create a more dynamic and sporty design but the leg room is on par with large luxury saloons,” he told the British publication.

Fisker, who designed the Emotion, said that he decided to “take a risk to change the proportions” of the car, so that the design is as original as it can be. “It’s a risk because people aren’t used to it,” he explained.

At launch, the Emotion will be the first model introduced by Fisker Inc. The new company is not to be confused with Fisker Automotive – defunct in 2014 – which produced the Fisker Karma. The Emotion will be an expensive low-volume model with a carbon-fibre and aluminium structure, while the graphene battery pack will be stored under the floor.

The car will be built by VLF, a manufacturing company Fisker partly owns. The hardware and software relating to the autonomous driving tech will be developed and supplied by external companies, streamlining costs and maximising efficiency at the same time. The luxury EV also boasts all-wheel drive and constant data connection. Its base price starts from USD $129,900.

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Fisker also told Autocar that there will be a second, higher volume and lower cost model to follow. “Production for that will be handled by an established carmaker, because the established car brands have really mastered high-volume, high-quality car production,” said Fisker. There’s no details to go by this mode, but he said the car will be built upon a modular EV platform. “It will be scalable, so more models can be created from it in the future,” he explained.

With more models planned for the future, Fisker Inc could well be a rival to established electric car manufacturers such as Tesla, BMW i and Mercedes’ new EQ sub-brand.