Faraday Future has unveiled the FFZero1 – a concept car that the California-based automaker promises will spearhead a complete revolution in the way that we drive.” Yet the car looks more appropriate for a race track than a city street thanks to a claimed 1,000 horsepower, a 0-60 time under 3.0 seconds, and a top speed over 200 miles per hour.
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The concept’s underlying platform – Variable Platform Architecture – is highly customizable, so it can be front-, rear- or all-wheel drive and in various different body configurations.
“That platform is done on a very modular and flexible basis such that we can change the size of the platform,” said Nick Sampson, a senior VP R&D and engineering. “We can change the number and power of the drive systems. We can change the physical size and electrical size of the battery packs, so we can get bigger and larger packs and smaller packs both on the electrical size and physical size because of the modularity of how the battery architecture is being done, which is unique compared to anybody else in the industry. The underlying story is all about the platform that’s being built.”
The batteries sit in horizontal rows and Sampson touted that the battery-pack system operates continuously even if one unit fails, a bit like Christmas tree lights that continue to shine even if one bulb burns out.
The design features a glass roof showing the white carbon fiber interior and some of the car’s high-tech – like a smartphone mount in the center of the steering wheel, the Halo Safety System that supports the driver’s head and neck, and a helmet that feeds the driver water and oxygen. The instrument panel is also designed to gather biometric data about the driver.
Chief Faraday designer Richard Kim pointed at a deep crease in the side of the concept car. “This is what we call our UFO line, and it denotes that its not really of this world. It will be a feature of all our cars.”
This doesn’t seem like the right way to launch a new company, a fantasy single seater LMP1 car from the future. They should have started with a car that could see success in the automotive market not a toy. This doesn’t give me any more reason to take them seriously.
Agreed. I was more than underwhelmed I was annoyed and agitated. Aside from an impractical race car that no one can buy, they showed some technology animation that I could have described to a graphic artist in an hour, who could have then turned a similar animation out with a week’s worth of effort.
They have been shrouded in secrecy for months teasing about a big reveal at CES. The result was another tease about what I might be able to buy in 4 to 5 years. Ergo, I am annoyed and agitated. Seems like a lot of talent and opportunity wasted.
It kind of reminds me of the BAC Mono, it looks like the Mono, and would be about as useful.
But, but, where would my dogs and groceries go? I would hoping for a Model 3 rival.
This is just a concept, not the car. It’s coming.
I get that. But I expected the concept to give an indication of the sort of first car they say they are going to build—soon. This spaceship concept seems pointless, and FF suffers a loss of credibility as a result. No matter, the Model 3 prototype reveal is less than three months away.
And neither does this FF concept break any new ground. The two EVs that won the Pikes Peak Hill Climb last summer both had a lot more power and performance (0-60 in 2 sec.), than the Faraday concept. Both were built by small companies without any hype, and even though both suffered breakdowns on the way up the mountain, they still finished 1st and 2nd overall because of their substantial speed and handling margins. The FF concept just sits there and looks pretty (although the tail feathers are a little strange).