Fisker Ocean Owners May Finally Get Hands-Free Driving Through Open-Source Solution
Owners of the Fisker Ocean electric SUV, a vehicle plagued by its manufacturer's recent bankruptcy, might finally receive a highly anticipated feature: hands-free driving. Fisker had equipped every Ocean EV with the necessary hardware for this capability but ceased operations in 2024 without ever releasing the enabling software.
In a promising turn of events, Comma AI, an American firm specializing in hardware and software for assisted driving systems, is actively testing its open-source solution on the Fisker Ocean. A video shared by Majd Srour, a prominent figure in the Fisker Ocean community and a reverse engineering expert, demonstrates a discontinued Ocean EV navigating city streets without driver intervention for steering. This development suggests that Fisker Ocean vehicles could soon gain advanced driving functionalities, albeit through an aftermarket solution rather than official manufacturer support. While still in its developmental stages, providing only steering assistance at present, the system operates using a custom software branch yet to be publicly released.
It's important to note that Comma AI's system does not integrate with the vehicle's native advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) sensors. Instead, it relies on a proprietary setup comprising a multi-camera unit, a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 MAX processor, a 3D accelerometer, a 3D gyroscope, high-precision GPS, and a microphone. This specialized hardware, which mounts on the windshield, interfaces directly with the car's CAN network to manage steering, acceleration, and braking, drawing parallels to Tesla's vision-based autonomous driving strategy. Comma AI asserts that its technology can introduce features like automated lane centering, adaptive cruise control, lane change assistance, and driver monitoring to over 300 vehicle models that lack these from the factory. While the software is freely available, the hardware unit retails for $999. This means that Fisker Ocean owners, who have previously faced out-of-pocket expenses for various repairs, will once again need to invest further to access a feature that was originally advertised as standard. Fisker manufactured approximately 11,200 Ocean EVs at Magna's Austrian facility before its collapse, with a significant portion reaching consumers and about 3,200 being utilized as rideshare vehicles in New York through American Lease.
The journey of innovation often takes unexpected paths, demonstrating that even after a company's departure, dedicated communities and inventive enterprises can breathe new life into unfulfilled promises. The pursuit of advanced automotive technology, even in the face of setbacks, highlights human ingenuity and the persistent desire to enhance user experience, ultimately driving progress forward.