Troubled US electric car maker evaluating “multiple proposals”
Geely, the Chinese company who purchased Volvo from Ford back in 2010, has emerged as the favourite to take a majority stake in Fisker, according to news agency reports out of China.
Geely is not commenting on the reports linking it with Fisker but a spokesman at its headquarters in Hangzhou, China has acknowledged that it recently dispatched a team of engineers to the US electric car maker to evaluate its design, technology and engineering operations.
The as-yet-unconfirmed bid by Geely to rest control of the financially embattled US electric car maker is the second to come to light within the last week, following news that rival Chinese state-owned Dongfeng Motor Group has also made an offer for Fisker. Dongfeng has also refused to comment on the specifics of its bid. However, indications are the Geely and Dongfeng bids are not the only offers on the table for the company behind the Karma saloon.
Fisker spokesman Roger Ormisher says the company has received “detailed proposals from multiple parties in different continents, which are now being evaluated”.
An Autocar source with close links to Fisker says the bids are “between $200 million and $300 million”.
Teaming up with Geely or Dongfeng would help Fisker to stabilise its finances and provide funds to pay back loans of up to $520 million obtained from the US government for on-going development of its electric drive systems and the purchase of a former General Motors factory in Delaware, USA.
Fisker was forced to halt production of its flagship Karma saloon late last year after its battery supplier A123 Systems filed for bankruptcy. It has also placed plans for its smaller Atlantic model, which was originally due to go on sale in 2013, on indefinite hold.