At long last, the Faraday Future FFZERO1 Concept has been unveiled at the ongoing 2016 Consumer Electronic Show (CES), which should unsettle Tesla Motors just a tad bit. The concept isn’t just limited to shock and awe duties however, as it features a modular platform on which all future FF production vehicles will be based.
Focusing our attention on the FFZERO1 Concept first, the design signifies a modern interpretation of a closed-cockpit, single-seater race car. With a heavy dependence on carbon-fibre and lightweight composite materials in its construction, the FFZERO1 also features high-performance racing suspension.
That should bode well for the EV’s handling, which is further enhanced with advanced vehicle dynamic control and torque vectoring systems. The contemporary design you see here isn’t just for show, with aerodynamics playing a major part to every component, including that prominent stabiliser fin for high speeds.
Inside, the FFZERO1 seats just one occupant, the driver, with an asymmetric digital instrument panel design dubbed “propeller IP”, encased in a halo safety structure greeting them. The driver’s seat is inspired by NASA’s “zero gravity” research, and is raised from the exposed carbon-fibre vehicle structure itself. It may appears strange that a race car adopts a white-coloured interior but it’s meant to represent the purity of a zero-emissions electric vehicle.
Faraday’s head of global design Richard Kim (designer behind the BMW i8 and i3) called the car something “not of this world” and it clearly shows with some of the “out of this world” features. For instance, the steering is said to be made for zero gravity situations. Closer to current reality, you can stick your iPhone on the steering wheel for it to interact with the car for navigation and act as a digital co-pilot by projecting augmented reality visuals on the road ahead.
The main highlight of the FFZERO1 Concept is what you can’t see underneath, the FF-developed Variable Platform Architecture (VPA). The platform adopts a battery structure that is arranged into what FF calls “strings”. Adding or removing these “strings” allows FF to modify a vehicle’s battery capacity as well as its wheelbase. The front and rear sections remain the same, although the crash sections can be modified as well to suit a vehicle’s needs.
The VPA also accommodates various electric motor configurations, ranging from one to four motor layouts. On the FFZERO1, FF went with the most extreme of the layouts, with four quad core motors (AWD) that provide over 1,000 hp, good for a century sprint time (0-100 km/h) of less than three seconds and a top speed exceeding 322 km/h.
The platform’s flexibility allows FF to adapt the electric powertrain to two- or four-wheel drive setups, depending on needs (extended range, power outputs). FF also state that the VPA comes pre-equipped for increasing levels of autonomous driving and safety on vehicles. Put all this together, and you get a platform that can be adapted to deliver a diverse range of vehicles ranging from compact hatchbacks, sedans all the way up to SUVs. The FFZERO1 is meant to show off the platform’s maximum potential.
All this sounds very promising, although no definitive dates has been given as to when FF will produce an actual consumer car. The company itself has received a USD$1 billion backing from Chinese media firm LeTV to set up a three million square foot factory in Las Vegas, which should be a clear sign that FF is not just puffing up smoke here. FF’s future plans also involve an infrastructure of internet-connected vehicles
What do you think of the Faraday Future FFZERO1 Concept? Do you think FF’s technologies has what it takes to take on more established companies like Tesla Motors in the electric vehicle (EV) market?
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