Faraday Future, Tesla's main rival in the electric vehicle space, has just unveiled its first production vehicle, the FF 91, at the CES 2017. Given the amount of publicity the electric car has received, the FF 91 should give Elon Musk something to worry about.
The company demonstrated the FF 91's capabilities when it introduced its keynote speaker in a live feed just outside the company's presentation area. Peter Savagian, VP of Propulsion Engineering at Faraday Future, was driving the FF 91 near the entrance of the presentation area. He then got out of the electric car and pushed a button in a remote control in order to allow the FF 91 to park by itself.
The electric car then drove by itself and looked around for a vacant parking space amidst cheers from the live audience watching the spectacle from the inside through a large screen. The car carefully backed into a vacant space, and then its engine died down.
The said presentation was welcome news after Faraday Future's rumored financial woes, which could spell trouble for the future of the company. Last month, three of the company's executives quit in the space of a week.
Slight Mishap During Faraday Future's Presentation
Faraday Future's presentation at CES 2017 was going smoothly until it came to a crucial moment when the electric car was supposed to drive by itself in the center stage and it didn't. Once some of the stage lights were dimmed, the car managed to drive itself to the center stage.
Faraday's presentation began with Nick Sampson, SVP of Research and Development. At the beginning of his speech, Sampson said that the audience will get to "witness day one of a new era in mobility." Sampson also spoke at great length how the company has come so far in the two and a half years since it has been founded.
"We've grown to over 1,400 employees globally from over 36 countries all joining Farady Future for a once in a lifetime opportunity to make life - and the world we live in - better for the generations to come."
Why The FF91 Is A Smart Car
The FF 91 can reach up to 378 miles alone based on a single charge, which makes the car competitive even if placed against gasoline-powered vehicles. The FF 91 is being branded not just an electronic vehicle, but also a smart one at that. It promises online connectivity and intelligence, and its driver and passengers can go online through a built-in Wi-Fi powered by CAT6 LTE modems and 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi antennas.
