Faraday Future FFZERO1

I thought GM did this in 2002, WOW.

http://evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=293

Faraday 2015

GM 2002

The old Hy-wire concept from GM was intended to be a fuel cell at the time, but the “batteries in the floor” logic was followed by Tesla as well.

As far as the point of the concept…I don’t get it.

It’s a super powerful sports car for the millionaire playboy? It’s a proving ground that electric technology can be fast?

Tesla proved electric cars can be fast by building a 7 passenger sedan that outruns the fastest German super-sports cars. So it’s not clear what their goal as a company actually is. I expect when the doors finally close on their offices, they’ll have produced far less cars than Delorean ever did.

This.

Tesla started with the same top down strategy. GM started with a bottom up strategy.

I think the top down makes more sense for a start-up and an inherently costly technology.

I’m not sure the Faraday strategy and Tesla strategy matched up.

Tesla used the roadster as a technical proving ground, and while it may have still been top down, the Faraday is way, way, WAY too far to the top.

The Tesla started off as a $100k, buggy Lotus kit car, and while it aimed to prove that electric vehicles could be quick, fun and efficient, the reasonably “low” price and fact that it was based off an existing piece of hardware made you feel reasonably comfortable with it. Silicon Valley types could convert their BMW payment into a Tesla payment pretty easily. It wasn’t an incredibly showy car, other than how small it is a lot of people probably wouldn’t have picked it out from any other number of little sports cars.

The Faraday comes off as something that only the Sultan of Brunei could afford to put in their living room and only for when they wanted to dress up as Bruce Wayne.

I get that it’s a concept and not a product, but in my mind all that means is when they actually turn it into a product, it will be so far divorced from what we’ve seen so far that everyone will go “what is your purpose as a company again?”

The whole thing just seems like some cocaine fueled scheme that a couple billionaires threw together and used it to suck up a bunch of high-tech talent who bought more into their comp package then they did the purpose of the company.

But that might just be because I’m a bitter and jaded designer who doesn’t get to design race cars from the future. :smiley:

Isn’t everything just something else when you boil it all down? Sure GM did the skateboard concept. Ideas are cheap, implementation is expensive. These guys are trying to implement. I think if the only thing you can say about this company is “hey, didn’t someone else do something like this?” then why bother saying anything at all? I know that may sound blunt but cynicism is just boring.

This company is doing a great job of stoking the hype in an industry dominated by entrenched incumbents and looming tech giants. They have recruited a world class team, building a factory in Las Vegas, have the investment of one to the 10 richest people in the world… maybe they will be the next Vector (thats and even more obscure DeLorean) or maybe they will be the next Apple. Who knows, but it is fun to ponder.

Industry people that I’ve talked to seem to either think this company is all hot air and vapor, or they are shitting bricks hoping these guys don’t eat their lunch in the next 5 years… I love anything that can be that polarizing before people even know what it really is they are going to make!

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I completely agree. But testosterone has been selling cars for over 100 years. While how unfortunate it might be, it works. And that is why I think it is too early to call Faraday a business failure.

That’s what’s weird to me though - I haven’t gotten a hint of testosterone pumping from any of their messaging or looking through their web site.

Case in point, BMW launched the new M2 with a video containing only dudes, burnouts, chunked tires, and rock music. They clearly know their demographic:

This vehicle launched with “1000 hp quad core motors”, “swipes and gestures” and a “NASA inspired Zero G seating position”. The spec sheet reads more like an iPhone than a concept vehicle.

If anything it completely lacks any testosterone - they’re not saying how it will be a vehicle “To lap the Nurburgring in 6 minutes” or “Dethrone the industry leaders”, but rather how it will meet the users needs, and I think the only need of a race car driver is to go as fast as possible and not die.

It’s not cynicism for just being a cynic, I simply don’t know who on earth this vehicle was meant for other than fake characters from season 3 of Silicon Valley.

BMW M2 video: Luxury cars, especially the high powered ones, sell more to men than women. Hence why there are a bunch of dudes in the video.

Faraday: What I find weird is that they say they are working on some production car, but haven’t had time to finish. However, they did find the time to finish this vaporware concept, that they have no intention of mass producing.

I know that I’m out of touch with how things work in start ups (get a bunch of buzz in spite of having zero sales, zero revenue), but it seems crazy to me.

Cool car though;)

Remember, they are not a start up in the true sense. They don’t need funding, they have it. Lots of it. What they need is attention… and when you have lots of money having the folks at Metal Crafters build a one off concept car of you based on your design is very doable. Basically 2 firms in SoCal build a large chunk of all of the concept cars out there. It isn’t the same as finishing a production vehicle.

I haven’t been to their site and my comments were purely based in the image in this thread.

And I will stand by the fact that that car is an enormous phallus compensating for the owner’s lack of one. Your batman comment confirms that logic. There is absolutely no estrogen within a thousand miles of that design.

The Tesla roadster has an old-man bent. And it well known that us old men are lacking testosterone. :wink:

There is no doubt in my mind that the design is targeted to the “macho 20-something male”, maybe even a teenager. I would agree they added the Silicon Valley geek factor to it too. It is quite fashionable at this time.

I take it for what it is. A concept car to get people excited and a lot of media buzz. Interested to see what they actually produce and if it will have more substance than this.
I personally don’t like the design or the finishes and colors. Looks awesome on the renderings but lack luster on the video. Hate the silver finish with the glossy black surface. He mentions the exterior is just like digital devices…“An extreme tablet on wheels”. It almost seems like a literal interpretation of combining consumer electronics and a car. For a future car concept the styling and materials look dated.