In this day and age, it seems everyone is bringing out new self-driving cars, and this latest vehicle is no exception. But where this concept from Chinese company Faraday Future stands apart is not just in its stylish look, but also the technology inside.
The car on show from the Chinese company was the electric FFZero1, revealed at the CES 2016 show in Las Vegas yesterday. The autonomous car is only a concept for now, and is merely meant to show off Faraday Future’s ideas.
It’s immediately noticeable for its Batmobile-like appearance; the car boasts aerodynamic tunnels at the front, which allow air to flow through the car and cool its batteries. It has 1,000 horsepower, and can apparently accelerate from zero to 60 mph (100 km/h) in under three seconds, with a top speed of more than 200 mph (320 km/h).
You can see the aerodynamic tunnels at the front here. Faraday Future
Inside, the driver is given a windshield with augmented reality, while they can also wear a helmet to supply oxygen and water. The seat is designed to be tilted at 45 degrees to give them an optimal view of both the road and the dashboard.
The major innovation, though, is the batteries. These are installed in a modular design at the bottom of the car, and they can easily be reconfigured into other chassis sizes to create a whole range of differently sized electric cars. The company calls this the Variable Platform Architecture.
“That platform is done on a very modular and flexible basis such that we can change the size of the platform,” Nick Sampson, a senior Vice President at Faraday, told The Verge. “The underlying story is all about the platform that’s being built."
Check out a concept video of the car in action above. YouTube
Some have billed the vehicle as a direct rival to Tesla, although it appears the FFZero1 is not meant for production – and is only a taste of what could be possible from Faraday Future. However, they are apparently planning to build a $1 billion manufacturing plant in North Las Vegas – the same plant where a test track for the Hyperloop is being built.
Whether the ambitious claims of the company do come to fruition is anyone’s guess at the moment, but there’s no denying the FFZero1 is a pretty neat concept.
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