When this EV maker collapsed, its customers became the car company

"Cristian Fleming paid around $70,000 for his dream car, a Fisker Ocean. He was drawn to the new EV's 350-mile range, eco-friendly image, and quirky features like "California Modes," which rolls down nearly every window at once. "I've always bought my cars because I love the way they look," Fleming says. "That's probably my first mistake." But his joy soon turned sour."

"Rather than accept defeat, thousands of Ocean owners have organized into their own makeshift car company. The Fisker Owners Association (FOA) is a nonprofit that's launched third-party apps, built a global parts supply chain, and came together around a future for their orphaned vehicles. It's part car club, part tech startup, part survival mission. Fleming now serves as the organization's president."

"Early adopters were left with cars plagued by battery failures, glitchy software, inconsistent key fobs, and door handles that did not always open. With the company gone, there was no way to fix any issues. Regulators logged dozens of complaints as replacement parts vanished. Passionate owners who spent top dollar on high-end trims saw their cars reduced to expensive driveway ornaments."

Cristian Fleming paid about $70,000 for a Fisker Ocean drawn by its 350-mile range, eco-friendly image, and features like 'California Modes.' Seven months after purchase Fisker filed for bankruptcy after delivering only 11,000 vehicles. Early owners faced battery failures, glitchy software, unreliable key fobs, and malfunctioning door handles, while replacement parts and repairs vanished. Thousands of owners organized the Fisker Owners Association (FOA), a nonprofit that created third-party apps, built a global parts supply chain, and charged verified owners $550 yearly for membership. FOA enrolled over 4,000 owners and positions itself as an owner-controlled EV fleet to preserve and maintain orphaned Oceans.

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