Faraday Future Presents Its First Creation, The FFZERO1
What better event than the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to introduce an electric concept vehicle that would make Batman reach for his pocketbook? Faraday Future, which embraces ambitious plans to produce a Tesla fighter in 2017, presented last night a styling exercise that will influence its lineup of products, and it’s called the FFZERO1 Concept.
Built on what Faraday Future calls a Variable Platform Architecture, the FFZERO1 includes everything a righteous concept car should offer: a futuristic design, a bunch of promising gadgets and breathtaking performance. Four electric motors would help the car top 320 km/h and blast from 0 to 100 km/h in less than three seconds.
The simplicity of Faraday’s platform architecture allowed the conception of a supercar with two huge tunnels in its bodywork that not only enhance aerodynamics, but help cool down the batteries. We know that the Tesla Model S is electronically limited at 210 km/h to avoid overheating the battery pack, which wouldn’t be the case with the FFZERO1 Concept.
An iPhone on the steering wheel
Why redesign something that already exists? At the heart of the car’s management is an iPhone with a dedicated application. The phone is literally integrated to the steering wheel. This single-seater sports car, which seems to have been developed for the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, also includes a specially designed helmet that incorporates a HANS safety device as well as a water and oxygen system for the pilot.
Faraday’s head designer, who previously worked on BMW’s i3 and i8 cars, explained during the official presentation that the FFZERO1 integrates styling cues that will be end up on the company’s production cars scheduled to appear in the next few years. Since the technological platform on which the FFZERO1 Concept is build is easily modifiable, we can expect sedans, SUVs and even a Faraday pickup in the not-too-distant future.
Not for production, but…
If demand is strong enough, a few units of this supercar could very well be built. An assembly plant of more than 4 million square feet will be built in the coming months north of Las Vegas, and should give jobs to more than 4,500 employees. The company is aiming to launch their first electric car in 2017.