Fisker previews sub-$40,000 electric crossover

The yet-unnamed model will arrive in late 2021.

Fisker -- the company that brought you the Karma -- has released a sketch that previews an electric crossover aimed directly at the Tesla Model Y and the production version of Audi's recent Q4 E-Tron concept. The yet-unnamed model is tentatively scheduled to make its debut in the second half of 2021.

The crossover wears a rugged, futuristic design characterized by a tall front end with thin headlights and a grille-like insert in the bumper. It features the LED light bar that has seemingly become mandatory on electric concept cars, and it looks like it has about the same amount of ground clearance as a conventional sedan. Teaser sketches are often misleading, so we'll wait until we see the production model in the metal to make a final judgement.

It won't be a full convertible, but the crossover will give passengers the option of going top-less. "With the touch of a button, an extended open-air atmosphere will be made possible without compromising the rugged and safe structural integrity of an SUV," Fisker wrote on its website.

Posting on his official Twitter account, Elon Musk-style, company founder Henrik Fisker announced the model will offer about 300 miles of range from a 80-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Through-the-road all-wheel drive (thanks to an electric motor over each axle) will come standard.

Pricing will start at under $40,000 ("affordable," according to the company), though it's unclear whether that's before or after government incentives. Fisker doesn't have a dealer network, and it won't need one. It aims to sell the model directly to buyers. Franchised repair shops will handle service.

The crossover won't join the EMotion in Fisker's line-up; it will be the other way around. Envisioned as the brand's flagship model, the sedan has been delayed until the solid-state batteries Fisker is developing in-house are ready for production. There's no word yet on when the model will arrive, but its launch has been pushed back to after 2021. Fisked originally announced production would begin in 2019 when it unveiled the model as a concept car during CES 2017.

Looking ahead, the SUV will be the first of three "affordable" electric cars that will slot below the aforementioned EMotion. Production will take place in the United States, though Fisker hasn't found a suitable location yet.