Electric vehicle sales in the U.S. have slowed down. In August, J.D. Power said EVs would account for 9% of U.S. automotive sales this year, a fairly major adjustment to its previous forecast of 12%.
It’s a market reality that’s forcing large automakers like Ford and Toyota to adjust their plans. It’s also forcing smaller EV makers like Lordstown and Fisker to throw in the towel all together. And in Fisker’s case, it looks like it got out as fast as it could.
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In June, Fisker filed for bankruptcy protection and shortly after filed a legal motion to get out of the lease at its former headquarters in California. That potential arrangement could be in jeopardy now based on a new filing spotted by TechCrunch in which Fisker’s landlord, Shamrock, describes the state of the company’s abandoned headquarters as “complete disarray.”
Shamrock arranged to retake possession of the premises “due to past acts of vandalism, theft and damage related to the homeless breaking into and attempting to set up residence.” When Shamrock Representative Tony Lenzini went to inspect the property, he found a scene that led him to believe the building had been “ransacked.”
Personal property and office supplies were scattered throughout the property. Large amounts of potentially hazardous chemicals had been left behind. Approximately 20 automotive-sized batteries were still on site. Even the full-scale clay models used to prototype new vehicle models were still there.
Pictures taken by Shamrock show a chaotic scene littered with office equipment, furniture, appliances, papers, boxes, pictures, cabinets, compressed gas bottles, pallets, car parts, cabling and a “a large metal frame of some sort.” If you look close, you’ll see a ping pong table in there, too.
After the initial assessment, Lenzini estimated Shamrock is facing tens of thousands of dollars in cleanup costs, damage repairs, and possibly hazardous waste removal. To complicate matters, he said he’s been receiving calls from people he doesn’t know requesting access to the building so they can recover personal property.
For Fisker, a trashed HQ may not be the worst of its worries. The company is under federal investigation as it navigates bankruptcy proceedings. But for an automaker that was once valued at $2.9 billion, it’s an alarming end.
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X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:0
00:00.270 --> 00:03.170
Electric vehicle sales in the US have slowed
down.
00:03.369 --> 00:07.090
In August JD.
Power said EVs would account for 9% of us
00:07.099 --> 00:12.930
automotive sales this year, a fairly major
adjustment to its previous forecast of 12%.
00:13.239 --> 00:18.030
It's a market reality that's forcing large
automakers like Ford and Toyota to adjust their
00:18.040 --> 00:21.309
plans.
It's also forcing smaller EV makers like
00:21.319 --> 00:24.469
Lordstown and Fisker to throw in the towel
altogether.
00:24.829 --> 00:29.850
And in Fischer's case, it looks like it got out
as fast as it could in June,
00:29.860 --> 00:35.250
Fisker filed for bankruptcy protection and
shortly after filed a legal motion to get out
00:35.259 --> 00:39.689
of the lease at its former headquarters in
California, that potential arrangement could be
00:39.700 --> 00:42.240
in jeopardy.
Now, based on a new filing spotted by
00:42.250 --> 00:47.849
techcrunch, in which Fisker is landlord.
Shamrock describes the state of the company's
00:47.860 --> 00:51.409
abandoned headquarters as quote complete
disarray.
00:51.419 --> 00:56.849
Shamrock arranged to retake possession of the
premises due to past acts of vandalism,
00:57.049 --> 01:02.180
theft and damage related to the homeless
breaking in and attempting to set up residents.
01:02.189 --> 01:06.669
When Shamrock representative Tony Lenzini went
to inspect the property,
01:06.809 --> 01:10.760
he found a scene that led him to believe the
building had been quote,
01:10.769 --> 01:16.000
ransacked personal property and office supplies
were scattered throughout the property.
01:16.069 --> 01:20.319
Large amounts of potentially hazardous
chemicals had been left behind.
01:20.529 --> 01:25.940
Approximately 20 automotive size batteries were
still on site and even the full scale clay
01:25.949 --> 01:29.849
models used to prototype new vehicle models
were still there.
01:29.860 --> 01:34.569
Pictures taken by Shamrock show a chaotic scene
littered with office equipment,
01:34.580 --> 01:40.839
furniture, appliances, papers, boxes, pictures
cabinets, compressed gas bottles,
01:40.849 --> 01:46.575
pallets, car parts, cabling and a quote large
metal frame of some sort.
01:46.615 --> 01:49.526
If you look close, you'll see a ping pong table
in there too.
01:49.536 --> 01:55.176
After the initial assessment, Lenzini estimated
Shamrock is facing tens of thousands of dollars
01:55.185 --> 02:01.405
in cleanup costs, damage, repairs and possibly
hazardous waste removal to complicate matters.
02:01.496 --> 02:06.071
He said he's been receiving calls from people,
he doesn't know requesting access to the
02:06.082 --> 02:09.871
building so they can recover personal property.
For Fisker.
02:09.912 --> 02:13.082
A trashed HQ may not be the worst of its
worries.
02:13.091 --> 02:17.651
The company is under federal investigation as
it navigates bankruptcy proceedings,
02:17.891 --> 02:23.391
but for an automaker that was once valued at
$2.9 billion it's an alarming end.
02:23.421 --> 02:25.641
I'm Ben Munson and this is manufacturing now.
