Faraday Future unveiled its first car targeted for production Tuesday, using the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to roll out what the startup automaker billed as a super-fast luxury electric vehicle. But it has yet to set a date when the car will hit the market.
Faraday said the FF 91 breaks records on electric-vehicle range and acceleration. It has some self-driving functionality, and is designed to remember its occupants Internet habits. Inside it emphasizes spaciousness and luxury.
Tuesday was Faraday's second trip to CES, the big tech trade show. Last year it showed off a concept car, the FFZero1. Since then the company, which hasn't produced a car for sale yet, has been hit by executive departures and questions about its finances.
The FF 91 is targeted to become a production vehicle. If the FF 91 lives up to its specifications, it will be a remarkably clean and high-performing zero-emissions vehicle.
The company claims the batteries will achieve a range of 378 miles, using Environmental Protection Agency calculations, and will have the fastest charging time available, going from 50 percent to full charge in 4.5 hours with a normal 240-volt home charger. (A 85-kWh P85D Tesla Model S Consumer Reports tested had a range of 220 miles). The company also said it raced its prototype against a Tesla Model S and won, going from 0 to 60 mph in 2.39 seconds (compared with 2.5 seconds for the Tesla).
"It's Day One of a new era of mobility," said Nick Sampson, the company's senior vice president of research and development and engineering. "This is the first of a new species."
Farady Future is asking interested customers to register on the company's website and make a refundable $5,000 deposit. Faraday didn't disclose the price of the car.
The company used the stage of the technology show to highlight the car's self-driving features. Although not fully autonomous, the FF 91, will have an impressive array of sensors that will get it much of the way there, including 10 high-definition cameras, 13 radars and 12 ultrasonic sensors. The car has a fully retractable lidar system embedded in the hood. Lidar is a laser-based object detection system.
All the autonomous-driving gadgetry will have a practical immediate use: The company promises the FF 91 will be able to park itself. The news conference cut to a live shot of a model circling a Las Vegas parking lot until finding an open space and backing itself in.
"Wouldn't it be fantastic if you never had to worry about parking again?'" said Hong Bae, director of advanced-driving and safety and self-driving.
Other carmakers, including Tesla, have a similar feature.
