Troubled Faraday Future shows off speedy FF 91, its first proper car

FF 91, revealed today, is due sometime 2018. Photo credit: Faraday Future.

Troubled electric vehicle startup Faraday Future today unveiled its first production model, one year after it disappointed onlookers with a wild concept car that will likely never be built.

The all-electric and partially self-driving FF 91, launched this morning ahead of CES 2017, represents the first Tesla challenger from the China-backed, US-based outfit. Much of the project money comes from Chinese tech billionaire Jia Yueting.

Photo credit: Faraday Future.

Photo credit: Faraday Future.

Photo credit: Faraday Future.

Photo credit: Faraday Future.

Photo credit: Faraday Future.

With 1,050 horsepower (783 kilowatts) from its electric motors, the FF 91 goes from standstill to 100 kph in 2.39 seconds, beating any Tesla even in “ludicrous” mode. It gets 378 miles of range from the 130 kWh battery, or 482 miles at 55 mph (88 kph) – the speed limit in much of the US, said Peter Savagian, Faraday’s VP of propulsion engineering, at the event in Las Vegas.

“We’ve engineered the FF 91 so you can forget range anxiety,” stated Peter.

Charging is done via a common plug standard – none of Tesla’s proprietary nonsense – and the startup is “rapidly working on wireless charging,” added the former GM exec.

Photo credit: Faraday Future.

Photo credit: Faraday Future.

Photo credit: Faraday Future.

Photo credit: Faraday Future.

Faraday Future did not reveal the price or a precise launch date, instead opening US$5,000 refundable deposits ahead of going on sale sometime 2018.

The FF 91 comes with a bunch of clever tech once it hits the road for real, such as facial recognition of the driver, a “driverless valet” that parks while you stand nearby, and wing mirrors that are made up of cameras and screens.

The sizable car has 10 cameras, 13 radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and one LIDAR scanner for advanced autonomous driving that pops out of the hood, as if Rolls Royce’s Spirit of Ecstasy had metamorphosed into an ominous obelisk.

Money problems

The launch comes days after Faraday Future lost its global CEO and months after a number of other senior staffers jumped ship. With its wealthy backer having money troubles, the startup has reportedly been forced to stop work on its billion-dollar factory in North Las Vegas, Nevada, amid millions in unpaid bills.

Although the FF 91 shows Faraday Future still has grand ambitions, it’s far from certain if the new marque has the moolah to get its first car into production.

“Despite all the naysayers, the skeptics, we will persist,” said Faraday exec Nick Sampson as he ended the event thanking staff, the audience, and live stream viewers.

This post Troubled Faraday Future shows off speedy FF 91, its first proper car appeared first on Tech in Asia.

from Tech in Asia https://www.techinasia.com/faraday-future-ff91-launch
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