Faraday Future EV concept: self-driving hypercar leaked
- 1000 horsepower hypercar surfaces with iPhone app leak
- Batmobile-styled EV claims 0-100km/h below three seconds
An iTunes App Store screw up has given the world an early look at mysterious Faraday Future’s first concept, due to be unveiled at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
News of Faraday Future’s coming was made official in 2015, but the startup has gone to great lengths to maintain secrecy over its management structure, finances and product plans.
For months, speculation was rife that the Faraday Future brand could be a front for Apple’s anticipated play into the car industry, but recent investigations have seen attention turn to Jia Yueting, the 42 year-old billionaire chairman of Chinese video network LeTV.
Now, thanks to the accidental early release of its iPhone and iPad app, eager onlookers have been given a first look at the concept that Faraday will unveil in Las Vegas this week.
The concept may surprise: the new carmaker has promised to revolutionise the way we commute, combining electric power with - over time - advanced self-driving technology.
That suggests the company will eventually focus on practical and spacious model styling, but today’s leak has instead revealed a sleek hypercar with what appears to be seating for just one.
These images from the leaked app, spotted and screengrabbed by Twitter user @supererogatory, show a long Batmobile-like monster with a large clear canopy and a long centre-mounted tail fin.
The screengrabs detail a 746kW (1000hp) output from the concept’s electric powertrain, which draws energy from a “customisable” modular battery system.
Torque figures were not included with the leaked data, but a 0-60mph (96km/h) time of “less than three seconds” is promised, along with a top speed beyond 320km/h.
By comparison, the Tesla Model S P85D sedan - already available in Australia - is driven by a less powerful 567kW system but boasts a comparable 0-100km/h time of 3.3 seconds. The 90D upgrade cuts that time to an even swifter 2.8 seconds.
Above: an earlier teaser points to slightly more conventional styling for Faraday's future line-up.
The concept features manual driving controls, along with an autonomous driving mode, although details on that system have not been revealed.
It is likewise unclear whether Faraday Future intends to put its unnamed electric hypercar into production, or if it is merely intended as a fantastical preview of the new company’s technology and styling.
Watch for Faraday’s concept to make its official debut in the hours ahead.
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