Byton's electric SUV concept, in full display at CES 2018, looks very modest compared to how other concept vehicles look, but that is before you take a look at what's inside.
The China-based startup apparently prioritizes function over form. Its normal-looking electric SUV is crammed with so much tech inside that it makes the Tesla Model X look like an outdated vehicle.
Byton Electric SUV: Four Touchscreens, Alexa Integration, Fitness Trackers, And More
Byton's electric SUV concept, which is expected to launch in 2019 with a starting price of $45,000, looks normal compared to other, usually flashy, concept vehicles. It is also not meant to make heads turn with its range and speed, with the base model to feature an estimated 250 miles on a full charge and a 272-horsepower engine.
However, everything changes when you take a look inside.
The first thing that people will notice is the massive 49-inch touchscreen that stretches across the entire dashboard, one of the vehicle's four displays. The second is built into the steering wheel, while the other two are behind the headrest of the driver's seat and front passenger's seat, for use by the rear passengers.
The concept electric SUV also features facial recognition technology to unlock doors and automatically adjust seats, gesture recognition abilities to enable certain functions, and even Alexa integration to allow voice commands.
The vehicle also has no side mirrors, replaced by tiny cameras that show what drivers need to see on the vehicle's giant display. The electric SUV even comes with its own fitness tracker capabilities, monitoring the heart rate and blood pressure of the driver. Byton's electric SUV concept will also be Level 3 autonomous upon its launch, with plans to eventually improve that to Level 4 autonomous sometime after 2020.
One problem with most concept vehicles is that some promised features never make it to the production models. However, Byton claims that the concept vehicle represents 85 percent of what the production model of the electric SUV will look like.
What Else Is In CES 2018
The Consumer Electronics Show is slowly transforming into an important event for the automobile industry, and CES 2018 is no exception.
However, electronic devices remain the focus of the annual showcase. Products that are featured at CES 2018 include the Dell XPS 13, new Lenovo Thinkpad laptops that come with their own webcam covers, the Neutrogena SkinScanner that allows smartphones to analyze the user's skin, a 4K HDR projector by LG, and new video game accessories by the revived Mad Catz.
