California EV Startup to Unveil Concept Car at CES

Gardena, Calif.-based Faraday Future Inc. says it will present an all-electric concept car in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The company, which was formed 19 months ago with the help of several former Tesla Motors Inc. executives, hopes to launch sales of the luxury vehicle in 2017 to compete with Tesla’s $76,000 Model S electric sedan.  

Media reports speculate that Faraday’s concept will be a sleek, high-riding crossover model in line with the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe. Faraday previously has said the vehicle will feature a high level of connectivity and self-driving features.

Power is expected to come from a battery pack that is 15% denser than the 85kW-hr unit in Tesla’s Model S, according to Autocar. This would give it a driving range of about 300 miles, the British enthusiast magazine calculates.

Faraday, which is shopping for a location for a $1 billion assembly plant in the U.S., has been secretive about its investors. Among those rumored to be involved in the company are Apple Inc. and Chinese billionaire Jia Yueting, who’s style has been compared with Apple’s late cofounder Steve Jobs.

The company’s leadership team includes Nick Sampson, who previously was the chief chassis engineer for Tesla’s Model S, and at least three other former top Tesla personnel and senior managers from Audi, BMW and General Motors.

Richard Kim, who had headed the design of BMW’s i brand electric cars, leads Faraday’s design efforts. His new team also includes designers from Audi, BMW, Ferrari and Lamborghini, according to Autocar.