CES is in full swing, so what's the big news coming out of Las Vegas?
Faraday Future's new electric car, for one. The luxury vehicle is meant to blow all other electric cars out of the water, but does it deliver? And when will it be available to buy?
In IT Blogwatch, we look under the hood.
So what is going on? Emme Hall has the background:
Electric car startup Faraday Future debuted its first electric vehicle, dubbed the FF 91, at CES 2017...After a disastrous showing at last year's CES, when the company showed...a nonfunctional EV supercar instead of the expected production vehicle, the pressure was on for it to follow through with something we could actually...buy.
A good start. But what makes the FF 91 special? Mark Vaughn is in the know:
The FF 91 has some...remarkable specs. Consider a 130-kWh battery...big enough to give the car an EPA “adjusted” range of 378 miles. Cruise at a steady 55 mph and range goes up to 482 miles.
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There are three electric motors driving the AWD 91...They are all 3-phase permanent magnet motors. Combined output is listed as 1050 hp...Zero to 60 is listed at 2.39 seconds
Intersting. But what else? Jim Resnick has some more details:
Autonomous driving is a large part of the FF 91...it uses 30 sensors -- including a retractable LiDAR system -- from around the car to enable a self-parking function where it can hunt around a parking lot, not just take over after you've lined the car up.
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The FF 91 will also use an open ecosystem where any app you have on your smartphone...will integrate across platforms. Multiple modems and two Wi-Fi antennae, it's claimed...make the FF 91 the "most convenient hotspot on earth."
Ok, that is all well and good, but there has got to be more, right? Zach Epstein fills us in:
Just as impressive as what is in the FF 91, is what is not in the FF 91...There are no door handles. Instead, buttons open and close motorized coach doors...There are no keys. Cameras use facial recognition to identify the driver, and...to identify passengers. Whether you take a seat in the front of your...FF 91...or in the back of an FF 91 halfway around the world, the car will automatically adjust...to your preferences.
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There are no mirrors. High-definition displays replace the rear view and side view mirrors, and HD cameras...provide a far wider range of view than any traditional mirrors...If the company can pull things together, work its way through reported financial troubles and executive departures, and manage to launch this...vehicle, it will be a game-changer.
And how much will this game-changer cost? No official price has been released, but Alexandria Sage and Paul Lienert still managed to get a number:
The FF 91...goes into production in early 2018. Advance reservations for the car -- which insiders say will retail for about $180,000 -- are being taken for $5,000.
A tad steep for me, but not for everyone. But what about those financial troubles? Rob Pegoraro has the details:
The company needs to work its way out of some setbacks...The most serious among them: November’s stoppage of work on a $1 billion factory north of Las Vegas after the company reportedly fell behind on payments. Faraday’s presentation...labeled that as the end of “phase one” of construction.
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Distribution also remains at a vaporous state. The company plans to do...its sales online...But that seems likely to encounter some of the same legal hang ups that Tesla has had in setting up manufacturer-to-driver sales.
Anything else? 3r.1c L1cht1g has one ore question:
Can I have mine delivered to Mars? It just looks like it needs to be in space on another planet.