Nissan could get electric ute with rescue of ailing US start-up – report

Japanese car giant Nissan is considering a $US400 million ($AU610 million) investment to save US electric-vehicle start-up Fisker from bankruptcy and score itself its first electric ute, overseas reports claim.

News agency Reuters claims Nissan is in «advanced talks» to invest in Fisker, which last week revealed it does not have enough money to «satisfy its requirements over the next 12 months.»

The deal would reportedly allow Nissan to develop an electric ute on the underpinnings of Fisker's planned Alaska pick-up – itself based on the Fisker Ocean family SUV – while saving the US start-up from going under.

MORE: Fisker Alaska electric ute unveiled

The «more than» $US400 million ($AU610 million) investment in the Alaska would see the Fisker and Nissan versions built from 2026 in a US Nissan factory – one of which produces the Pathfinder SUV in right-hand drive for Australia.

Building utes for the US market, in the US is essential to avoid a 25 per cent tariff on imported pick-ups, dubbed the 'chicken tax' as it was introduced in the 1960s to target VW Kombi utes, in response to French and West German tariffs on US chickens.

The Fisker Ocean mid-size SUV – the company's first model, and a Tesla Model Y rival – is built in Austria by Magna-Steyr, which also manufactures the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Toyota GR Supra and other models.

Reuters reports the Nissan-Fisker deal could close this month, according to «two people familiar with the negotiations,» and that «the term sheet is ready and the deal is going through due diligence.»

Fisker CEO Henrik Fisker said last week the company was talks with a large car maker «for a potential transaction which could include an investment in Fisker, joint development of one or more electric vehicle platforms, and North America manufacturing.»

In late 2022 the US electric-car start-up targeted 42,400 deliveries of the Ocean in 2023, but only managed to build 10,000 – and sell 5000 – amid quality issues and production snags.

The company has said it aims to deliver 20,000 to 22,000 Oceans in 2024, though it is battling slowing demand for electric vehicles in the US and Europe.

It suggested it may look to cut costs by laying off 15 per cent of