Byton unveiled Sunday its first all-electric concept car, which it plans to begin selling as a production model by the end of next year. Its first concept all-electric car is a preview of what is coming in Bytons first production vehicle, due out in 2019, which includes plans to sell to U.S. customers. Byton (nee Future Mobility Corp.) said its first concept all-electric car on Sunday represents roughly 85% of Bytons first production vehicle.
Chinese electric vehicle startup Byton plans to introduce the concept version of its SUV by the end of 2019 in China. Chinese electric car startup Byton said that the SUV would be launched with Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities, but would have Level 4 capabilities by 2020. As for the mechanical specifications, Byton announced last year that its SUV would have an 201-hp electric motor on the front axle and a 268-hp motor in the back.
A 71-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery is expected to provide about 200 miles range, and the 95-kWh pack would supply enough juice for about 310 miles, according to Chinese EV startup Byton. There will be a longer-range version, as well as the standard version, which comes with either one or two electric motors. Its technology-focused, fully electric SUV, will be offered as a basic model, featuring a 70-kilowatt-hour battery pack capable of traveling 250 miles on a charge.
Chinas Byton, which is based in China, has produced the first 10 prototypes of its tech-centric all-electric SUV, and a few will arrive in the United States by year-end, the companys chairman and co-founder, Daniel Kirchert, told TechCrunch. China-based Byton revealed its highly-technical, fully-electric SUV, the M-Byte, almost two years ago. China-based Byton is now focused on rolling out the M-Byte in China in 2020.
After Chinas first M-Byte SUV, Chinese startup Byton hopes to begin selling cars in Europe, even in the United States, but given its delay for its Asian home market, it is probably some time away from seeing its first electric vehicle in the Western world. The next 8 months will reveal whether Byton is able to really bring its global promise, or just focusing on Chinas market. Chinese startup Byton made one of the biggest waves in a while when it revealed its first electric vehicle at CES 2018, packed with tech and with a huge 48-inch screen on the inside.
Chinas Byton is sending its electric SUV prototype to the US. That is when Aurora, the autonomous car tech start-up, takes the reins. The K Byte is set to become Chinas second car from the Byton portfolio, with global launch expected. David Twohig, Bytons Chief Technology Officer, told us both the rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive versions of its SUV, the M-Byte, will be available. The companys electric SUV, the M-Byte, will feature a 48-inch dash screen stretching across the entire width of the windshield, and it has a touchscreen on the steering wheel, both things that Bytons CEO, Daniel Kirchert, says are automotive-industry firsts.
Kirchert believes that the companys distinctive technology features for its M-Byte electric SUV will particularly appeal to younger consumers, who have grown up with smartphones and expect similar capabilities in their cars.
While Tesla has been the leader in car tech, Byton CEO Daniel Kirchert believes that the companys vehicles will push Teslas innovations to new heights. Tesla has proven, through its Model 3 sedan, you can sell significant numbers of EVs at the right price, Kirchert said, although a compelling price alone does not lead to sales. For sales, electric-vehicle startup Byton is pricing the companys M-Byte electric SUV close to the price of its Model 3 sedan, rather than the higher-end vehicles it sells, the Model S sedan ($79,990) and the Model X SUV ($84,990). The raise would bring Byton up from its $4B valuation last years Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
U.S. auto buyers looking to make the leap to electric, but who still want the bulk of SUVs, soon may be saved from this difficult choice, because Chinese EV startup Byton is bringing its M-Byte e-SUV stateside. Thatll be followed by early sales of its highest-tech model across the U.S. and Europe by late 2021.
The Byton M-Byte EV crossover itself was first shown as a concept at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show. Under the deal, Foxconn will contribute production expertise, along with strong operational management expertise, andindustrial resourcesto help with the M-Bytes manufacturing rollout.
The Byton vehicle is loaded with technologies that are vastly superior to those found in current vehicles. Byton is building a self-driving electric vehicle that has a few cool additions, such as a 49-inch touchscreen, gesture controls, and voice commands via Amazon Alexa. The 49-inch touchscreen The Amazon Alexa. The cabin and interactions that Byton is showing off are most appropriate for an almost fully-fledged, or completely autonomous, vehicle, but yet its first conceptual fully-electric car is still very much a vehicle that needs a human driver for the immediate future. Byton is promising as little as Level 3 capabilities in a production version of the car, which is roughly midway between an assisted-driving and fully autonomous vehicle, according to the Society of Automotive Engineerss scale.
