Federal security regulators have opened an investigation into Fisker’s first electrical car over braking issues.

The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration’s (NHTSA) Workplace of Defects Investigation (ODI) issued a discover that it’s probing Fisker’s Ocean SUV for lack of braking efficiency. The company is specializing in 9 complaints concerning the challenge so far, together with one incident involving a crash and an unspecified harm.

A Fisker spokesperson declined to remark.

The probe comes as the corporate grapples with lower-than-expected demand and a failure to fulfill inner gross sales targets, which TechCrunch completely reported earlier this month.

Fisker reported final month it delivered roughly 4,700 SUVs worldwide in 2023. The EV startup, which went public in 2020 by way of a merger with a particular objective acquisition firm, started transport the primary Ocean SUVs in June, about six months after contract manufacturing companion Magna Steyr started constructing the autos. The SUV’s launch was delayed partially as a result of its software program was not prepared on the time.

Since hitting the roads, homeowners have lodged 19 complaints with NHTSA on points starting from brake loss and issues with the gear shifter to a driver door failing to open from the inside and two situations of the car’s hood abruptly flying up on the freeway.

NHTSA says the Ocean can expertise “partial lack of braking over low traction surfaces, with out alerting the motive force,” which “ends in a sudden enhance in stopping distance,” in line with the braking complaints referenced by ODI, which had been submitted between October and December 2023. The complaints additionally reference issues with the Ocean’s regenerative braking.

The criticism involving a crash was submitted in November. The proprietor reported they had been driving from Washington, DC to Richmond, Virginia in barely wet circumstances when one other automobile swerved into their lane, in line with the criticism. The proprietor mentioned within the criticism the Ocean’s brake “vibrated and felt extra plastic than elastic,” and that the automobile slid “as if the tires seized up.” The low-speed crash was delicate sufficient that neither driver filed a police report, however the criticism states that the opposite driver has since filed an harm declare with the proprietor’s insurance coverage company.

There are 4 completely different sorts of investigation that the ODI can open: Defect Petition, Preliminary Analysis, Recall Question and Engineering Evaluation. NHTSA says it really works to finish defect petitions in 4 months, preliminary evaluations and recall queries in eight months, and engineering evaluation probes in 18 months. The company categorised the Fisker probe as a preliminary analysis.