At CES 2017, Faraday Future introduced its futuristic luxury electric vehicle, the FF 91. Seven years later, following repeated delays, bankruptcies, lawsuits, and other controversies, the company sold “15 or 16 » FF 91. The company now details its latest change in strategy, with a plan to sell inexpensive electric vehicles as part of its new low-cost program. Brand “FX”. FX CEO Max Ma came to CES, accompanied by two prototype vehicles, to present the plan which he described as a “new beginning” for the struggling company.
As to be expected with Faraday, the exact details are somewhat fuzzy, but it involves sourcing parts from Chinese automakers and importing them to the United States to produce “mass consumer vehicles.” with some of the high-end touches Faraday is known for. “We want to leverage this $300,000 automotive expertise of technology, features and performance [standpoint] in a $30,000 or $40,000 car to try to improve the overall user experience,” Ma said in a briefing with Engadget. The first FX vehicle, the flagship of the brand’s lineup, will be a minivan (or, as Ma called it, “an AI minivan”) called “Super One.”
Faraday showed off two minivan prototypes to demonstrate the concept. We weren’t allowed to take photos but the vehicles in the photo at the top of this post are the ones I saw.
One was intended to show the kind of premium cabin experience Faraday envisions for the low-cost car. There were two rows of white leather captain’s chairs. The second row seats featured reclining footrests, heated seats, and built-in massagers. There was also a small refrigerator under the center console to keep drinks cold. The vehicle was missing its door handles and several other parts. “Of course we will have door handles,” a Faraday representative assured us.
The second minivan was even less finished. The entire interior, including the dashboard and instrument cluster, was covered in black cloth held together with binder clips. But a Faraday representative took us for a ride with other journalists, driving in small, slow circles around a Las Vegas parking lot. Later, Faraday offered to let me take the minivan for a spin, and I – apparently the “first lady” to pilot the vehicle – also drove it in slow circles around the parking lot. I’m not sure what I was supposed to get out of it, though, it was like driving a minivan.
Two more vehicles are planned for the initial FX range, the FX 5 and FX 6, which were previously announcement by the company. Faraday is targeting a price of $20,000 to $30,000 for the FX 5 and $30,000 to $50,000 for the FX 6. There aren’t many other details on that yet, although Faraday shared a teaser image of a prototype of the FX 6, which he described as an “extra-large luxury AIEV.”
Faraday says it will begin producing one of its planned vehicles later this year, with the first “pre-production” model rolling off the production line by the end of 2025, according to a timeline shared by Ma. This is a big promise given the company’s history of mismanagement and delays. Matthias Aydt, CEO of Faraday Future, also acknowledged that the company has not yet finalized its partnerships with the companies that will supply its parts. He also didn’t explain how the tariffs might affect those plans.
Mom said he understood the skepticism. “Basically, it’s a kind of new beginning. We really want to demonstrate that through dedication and hard work we can achieve what we promised.
