Fisker has been teasing us with its impending PEAR small SUV for over a year, and we finally had a chance to see it in person today.
Fisker conducted its “Product Vision Day” today in Huntington Beach, California, and showed us prototypes of some upcoming vehicles, as well as our first look at the PEAR.
The PEAR is Fisker’s second SUV, slightly smaller than the Ocean but with a lower starting price – $29,900 before tax incentives. This translates to $22,400 after-tax incentives, which is about as low as a PEAR small SUV can get these days.
And Fisker intends to manufacture the vehicle in the United States, at the old Lordstown plant, to qualify for Inflation Reduction Act tax incentives.
Fisker claims that the PEAR small SUV will have 35% fewer parts than the Ocean, allowing for simpler manufacture and thus cheaper prices. The platform is dubbed “SLV1,” which stands for “Simple, Light, Volume.”
Fisker CEO Henrik Fisker, for example, indicated that all four seats will have the same armrest design, so instead of producing four different pieces, Fisker will just need to produce one.
The PEAR will be made of steel, which is less expensive (but heavier) than aluminum, and Fisker hopes to eventually produce 1 million vehicles per year – although that goal is clearly a long way off.
Fisker maintains that every car it produces must have at least a few distinguishing traits and one of PEAR’s distinguishing features is its unusual “Houdini door.”
This is the name given by the manufacturer to its back hatch, which disappears into the automobile body, leaving a large opening that will not swing out and harm anything or force you to smash your head on it. This is demonstrated in this section of Fisker’s film (starting at 47:17).
The PEAR will have a front drawer-like storage compartment, which Fisker is attempting to name a “Froot,” a portmanteau of front + boot, but which everyone else will just call a frunk anyway. Fisker, you’re too late on that one.
However, it differs from most franks in that it slips out from behind the front grille area rather than beneath the hood, potentially giving a flatter space than most franks. Fisker stated that it is insulated and so capable of transporting hot or cold products – however, we haven’t heard whether it has its own HVAC system. We didn’t get to witness it in action, but you can catch a glimpse of it around 44:58 in Fisker’s video.
The interior of the PEAR small SUV we saw today is very different from the early interior photographs, with a much more minimalist feel. Of course, this is merely a prototype (which, according to what we heard at the event, was done this morning), so nothing is final, but we believe a minimalist inside would be required to keep the price around $30,000.
And, to be honest, it looked really great from what we saw. It reminded me of the Honda Element, a vehicle known for having a simple and usable cabin that didn’t mind getting a little dirty, a characteristic that owners adored. More concerned with usefulness than with comfort.
However, Fisker also intended to emphasize how much interior space the PEAR has. It will be available in five- and six-seat configurations, with the six-seat configuration including a front bench seat. Fisker had six employees pile out of the car at the start of the presentation to demonstrate the PEAR’s capability:
Also read: Toyota’s New Trademark Electric Lexus Three-Row SUV Signals a Paradigm Shift in Luxury EVs
Fisker stated that you shouldn’t need a large, three-row SUV to transport six people, including all of the associated environmental implications (a statement we totally agree with).
The PEAR will have what Fisker calls “Lounge mode,” which will reconfigure the seats (including the front seats) to create a flat space within the car large enough to lie down in. This should be ideal for vehicle camping.
All of this is planned to happen in 2025. Fisker will go from having one car that just started selling in 2023 to four cars in only two years thanks to this car, the Alaska, and the Ronin. It’s a hefty ask, especially coming from a corporation with 1,000 people, so we wouldn’t be surprised if there are some delays.
But if you want to be first in line for the PEAR, bookings are now open on Fisker’s website for $250.
As we indicated in the Take for the Fisker Alaska, these promises all appear to be excellent, but we must remember that they may appear to be too good to be true.
We’d want to see a modest basic utilitarian EV produced in large quantities at a fair price, and the sooner the better. But building this car, at this price, and this soon, from a small firm that is not only focusing on one new vehicle program, but three, and trying to scale an existing vehicle program… that’s a lot to bite off.
