Byton promises connected, autonomous EV for CES

Chinese startup Byton is planning to launch its first prototype car – dubbed a "next generation smart device"  – at CES 2018.

The company, which was founded in China but has offices in Munich and California, has created an acronym for its creation: the Smart Intuitive Vehicle (SIV).

We're going to ignore the tacky buzzwords, and instead focus on what we know about the as-yet unreleased concept.

If the pre-release materials are to be believed, the car will have a new type of user interface reliant on your face. Along with facial recognition, the car is designed to understand voice commands and respond to gestures. None of these ideas are unique, but none have been mastered by existing manufacturers, either.

The car itself is meant to be Level 4 autonomous, with power from an electric powertrain offering 500km of range. The company is promising fast charging, but hasn't provided any information on how fast you'll actually be able to juice up.

One of the biggest questions surrounding autonomous vehicles is how passengers will pass the time in the cabin. Renault now owns a stake in a major French publisher, while most self-driving concepts have promised to deliver video, internet and music services to their passengers.

Byton says its car will provide a constant connection of 1000Mb/s, which is "five times higher than any conventional system" at the moment. That means streaming TV shows, getting work done, online gaming and video chat are all on the table.

And because it's 2018, and this is an autonomous vehicle, the company is promising an app-connected experience which, based on the video above, appears to be a cross between Google calendar and Uber. The example provided is of a couple heading on a date, and adjusting their location on the fly using a smartwatch.

The full car will be launched at CES in Las Vegas, which kicks off on January 7. In the meantime, you can watch the video at the top of this story for an introductory look at the car. Be warned, it's loaded with cringeworthy buzzwords and Apple-style music.

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