Faraday Unveils 1,000-hp Concept EV

Gardena, Calif.-based startup Faraday Future Inc. took the wraps off a stylish, high-output concept electric racecar this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Billed as a proof-of-concept model, the FFzero1 rides on a modular platform the company says can carry the entire range of electric vehicles it hopes to launch in coming years. 

The single-seat concept racer is powered by four electric motors—one at each wheel—that produce a combined 1,000 hp. Faraday estimates the vehicle can rocket from zero to 60 mph in less than three seconds and hit a top speed of 200 mph.

Instead of an integrated battery pack, the FFzero1 uses a series of floorpan-mounted “battery strings” that can be easily reconfigured (or serviced and replaced) for different power outputs and applications, according to Faraday.

The FFzero1’s Batmobile-like exterior is made from a mix of carbon fiber and other lightweight composite materials. Faraday says the car’s sleek design with tunnels on either side of the front fascia “radically” improves aerodynamics and enhances battery cooling. Other features include a racing suspension, torque vectoring and dynamic vehicle control.

The white interior pod features a curved instrument panel and a NASA-inspired seat intended to maximize comfort and lessen driver fatigue. Smartphones can be docked directly into the steering wheel, where they become integrated with the vehicle’s controls and displays and can be used to customize performance settings.

Faraday hint that the company is considering a limited-edition production version of the supercar that could include autonomous vehicle functions for both road and racetrack applications.

Media reports speculate that Faraday’s first mainstream model will be a crossover/SUV. They point to a video Faraday released that shows the modular platform transitioning from a racecar to an SUV. The company plans to break ground on a new $1 billion production site in North Las Vegas later this month.

Formed in mid-2014, Faraday is backed by Chinese billionaire Jia Yueting, who founded the online video entertainment company LeTV. The company has about 750 employees worldwide, including several former top engineers and executives from BMW, Tesla, Volvo and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. But Porter Harris, who Faraday hired away from Tesla to be its chief battery engineer, already has left the company to join Lotus Research and Development LLC.