The FFZERO1 might be a concept car but, as the tagline goes, it’s also a car of concepts.
The car was introduced at CES by Faraday Future and every part of it was designed with driver comfort and convenience in mind.
Let’s start with the big numbers. The company is claiming the electric vehicle offers up to 1,000 horsepower and can go from 0-60 in just three seconds. They put the top speed at over 200 mph. Plus, just look at this thing.
The smart-phone integrated steering wheel allows the driver to control the car setup and data from a phone, and the NASA-inspired seat helps reduce driving fatigue. It only seats one, and it’s designed with speed in mind, so it does end up looking a little bit like the Batmobile. The shell is carbon fiber and the design includes an aerodynamic tunnel to reduce drag.
While the superficial trappings of the car are intriguing, the big announcement was the Variable Platform Architecture (VPA), designed by the engineers at the company to shake up the automotive industry. It starts with the modular battery and wheelbase configurations with a new battery structure arranged in “strings,” which can be added or removed to adjust capacity and fit in particular wheelbases. The motor and powertrain configurations are also modular and can incorporate one to three (and sometimes four) motor configurations. This allows the car to offer up two or all-wheel drive, depending on the arrangements, as well as a multitude of power outputs. The bells and whistles don’t stop with the connectivity options, either. The driver has access to a fully integrated head-up display and the car is designed to evolve with the autonomous market, and offer drivers the optimum driving experience.
The takeaway from the VPA is that it offers options. The emphasis on modular designs, multiple power train configurations means the cars could really look like anything and be designed to do anything while being designed around a single core architecture. Plus, it means the door-to-door delivery of a finished product–no matter how unique–is fairly rapid.
In case you’ve never heard of the designers, don’t be ashamed. Faraday Futures is a semi-secretive 400-employee Californian company that boasts quite a number of former Tesla employees including the former directors of manufacturing and vehicle and chassis engineering among its ranks. They plan to launch–surprise–a fully electric, fully connected car into the market. They’ve just recently decided to build their first production plant located in North Las Vegas, but that clearly hasn’t stopped them from showcasing what they’ve been working on.
They’re saying this concept car could see “limited production,” but I wouldn’t hold my breath for it.
If you’re lucky enough to be at CES this week, check them out at North Hall, Booth #4535.
