Days leading to the CES 2017 had been busy for folks at Faraday Future, drumming up interest for its FF 91 flagship electric vehicle, but once the bevy of speakers has dispensed with their pieces at the electronics show and the lights have shined on the vehicle itself, an awkward moment ensued.
Auto Valet Demo Glitch
After being confidently driven toward the center of the stage, the FF 91 refused to budge when it was time to demonstrate its self-parking technology.
LeEco's founder and CEO Jia Yueting was forced to deliver his keynote with the stubborn FF 91 as a backdrop serving as the proverbial elephant in the room.
Once Yueting finished, the stage has been immediately dimmed so technicians could fix whatever the problem was. It was up to Nick Sampson, senior vice president of research and development at Faraday Future, to fill the uncomfortable silence that engulfed the auditorium.
"As a new baby, she's often very, very timid," Sampson's voice could be heard in the dark.
Watch the video below beginning 1:12:30.
Samson's Explanation
The Verge was able to corner Sampson after the event, and he promptly provided more details about the demo hiccup.
"It's a complex situation," he said. " We knew there were technical challenges. If you look up at the roof of this building, there's a lot of structure up there that inhibits some of the signals the car needs to be able to self-drive."
The FF 91 eventually ambled forward driverless to the collective relief of everyone present during the demo.
FF 91 And The Future Of EVs
It is important to remember, however, that the vehicle has been tested and was already shown successfully parking itself in a slot without any human driver present. So there must be truth to what Samson called as signal-inhibiting factors inside the venue. He has refuted claims that the vehicle is remote control operated.
Save for the glitch, one would conclude the FF 91 is a truly impressive piece of EV and could even live up to Faraday Future's claim that it is an emergent Tesla killer.
A demo model tested has zoomed from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 2.39 seconds, beating the Tesla Model S P100D for the title of the world's fastest-accelerating car. The automaker touted that the vehicle effectively outran the very gravity itself.
Observers are hoping that Faraday Future will be able to hold that figure up in independent testing as well as fulfill its other cool ideas because they will unarguably contribute to the future not just of EVs but also of human transport in general.
