After showcasing its first concept vehicle at CES 2018, electric car startup Byton has come back with another for CES Asia. On Monday, the company also announced it had recently raised more than half a billion dollars in capital.
Byton looks to be on the right path, but the trail it’s marching down has already been taken by other EV startups and resulted in failure. For example, Faraday Future drove itself into a brick wall after failing to deliver on its promises for two years straight. It suffered development delays on its prototype, engaged in some sketchy deals, and practically collapsed when its main Chinese backer ran out of money. That isn’t to presume Byton is the same kind of company, but it’s offering the same type of car under vaguely similar circumstances.
Loaded with tech, Byton’s autonomous, all-electric K-Byte sedan and its SUV sibling (the M-Byte) are right in line with every manufacturers’ future vehicle concepts. They’re perpetually connected to the web, capable of self-driving, and chock full of touchscreens. But they aren’t real cars yet, even though the startup suggests they’ll be available for just $45,000 — and relatively soon. The SUV will apparently go into production in 2019, with the sedan following by 2021.
Tesla Motors is the shining example of what an electric startup can become with enough hard work and good fortune. While still heavily dependent on investors and perpetually in the red, the company managed to produce some of the most technologically impressive vehicles the world has ever seen — and manages to keep building them. However, even a winner like Tesla can run into trouble. We’ve seen serious production setbacks, broken promises, and bad publicity.
Nobody said becoming an automaker is easy. But how can Byton seriously believe it will be able to deliver a superior product at such a competitive price in just a few years?
Let’s start by breaking down what the brand is offering and how realistic it is. The company wants to build two models, starting with the $45,000 SUV. The vehicle is supposed to possess Level 4 autonomy by 2020, which seems to presume the base models either lack the necessary sensing hardware or will be limited to Level 3 at launch, and a 49 inch screen that spans the entire dashboard. It’s also said to have a touch screen embedded in the steering wheel, gesture controls, swiveling chairs, internet connectivity, and internal cameras that recognize passengers and load in whatever settings they’ve pre-approved.
While Byton says it intends to bring all of these features to market, we’re unconvinced that the screens are even feasible. Airbag regulations would make placing an LCD in the steering wheel impossible and the company would have to figure out a workaround for the passenger-side inflator, as well. Autonomy is another tricky aspect. As everyone works feverishly on self-driving cars, the technology is simply not ready for the consumer market.
We do know that Byton has self-driving tech, thanks to its recent partnership with Aurora, but we’ve not seen it in action yet. The pair intend to perform rigorous testing to ensure the system is ready within the next two years. But that’s not a lot of time to get it working. Keep in mind that all we’ve seen thus far are concepts. Byton still has plenty of engineering to do before it develops a production vehicle, gains the necessary approvals, figures out production logistics, and then decides upon its distribution strategy.
Fortunately, it now has more money to help solve those problems. According to Fortune, the bulk of its fresh $500 million came via investments from Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology and FAW Group, Tus-Holdings. Byton said the money will be used to make “continued progress in mass production, R&D and product development.”
The startup officially opened its global headquarters in Nanjing, China on Monday. Byton presently holds a R&D center in Silicon Valley and a design center in Germany. A production facility is expected to open near the Chinese HQ within a year.
Getting back to the cars, all we really know is that the K-Byte and M-Byte will share a platform in addition to a terrible naming strategy. Hardware details are being kept a secret for now. Byton will supposedly offer 71 and 95 kilowatt-hour variants of both vehicles — providing estimated ranges of 200 and 310 miles, respectively. But neither will embarrass a Tesla in a drag race. The startup claims sprints to 60 mph should take about five seconds, and that’s about all we know at the moment.
Honestly, it’s too early to assume anything with any degree of certainty, but Byton’s timeline feels too ambitious. We also don’t think the production vehicle, assuming there is one, will be a carbon copy of the concept. It’s okay to take this startup seriously, so long as you keep in mind the massive levels of hype high-tech manufacturers generate to drum up interest and investments.
[Images: Byton]
History say they will be a failed one.
I’ll take Epic Fails for $200, Alex…
If they want to be seen as ‘different’ losing the Lexus-like floating roof treatment would be the first place to start.
Too much tech, not enough money, not enough time, too low of a price, no factory, no sales/support network, and a strong incumbent competitor.
FAIL
“and internal cameras that recognize passengers”
I’m sure that’s going to be a popular feature in its home market with the Chinese Ministry of State Security.
I was thinking of side chicks myself… (>_<)
I gave up on computers predicting what I want to hear, see or buy. So there better be a button to turn that feature off.
Are we nearing peak “ipad-on-a-dash” yet?
http://autoweek.com/gallery/ces/gallery-byton-concept-suv-interior
http://autoweek.com/gallery/ces/gallery-byton-concept-suv-interior
If there was a lidar night vision camera mode, it might be interesting.
Yet another purveyor of sterile, boring electric autonomous appliances that no one really wants. Nothing to see here.
Plenty of people want them. The problem is they can’t afford them, and they can’t be made at a profit.
What the point of computer screen on steering wheel? Airbags aside – it is very dangerous to change line of sight so dramatically while driving at high speed on highway. As if there is not enough screens already on the dash.
More screens doesn’t make a car better. I’ve already got a screen that I take with me everywhere. I don’t need 7 more of them stuck in my car. This thing is so gimmicky, it almost has to be a parody.
Soon the area of the car known as the windshield will be redundant. That space will be a large interactive touchscreen. Side windows and rear glass will also be passé, thus eliminating glare, exposure to urban blight, skin cancer, and the need to remove snow in colder climes.
And it will not need wheels and engine. It can stay in garage all the time saving environment while you will have illusion of driving real car.
So it’s not a car, it’s a computer shaped like a car?
1) Fix that stupid grille on the sedan.
2) Get a better brand name, and model names.
3) A double-D symbol does not make a B; it symbolizes what big boobs the buyers of this half-baked car will be.
I wish Byton all the best, but this is a road that has been taken many times before. DMC, Bricklin, Faraday and a hundred others have created the template.
The grille looks like it could take a big Byte. :-)
I wish them the best of luck but they are on a difficult path.
While I’m in favor of almost any new car start-up…Hey, the more cars, the better…this one does smack of vapor-ware.
Good luck to them. I hope that promising the world and failing to deliver won’t byte’m in the *ss!
And history may repeat itself as it did pre-WWII when there were many car companies that went into business and failed. It is better to have them try and some will succeed and give us more choices….
Is Elio still a thing? Feels like Byton (is that an english Y as in “Bite”un or a german Y as in “Boot”on?) and the man responsible for Elio should get together and find a way to bring something to marlet.
Good question…I think everyone just assumed it died.