Skip to main content

Faraday Future is building a fleet of prototypes, more vehicles spotted testing in the wild

Every time we publish an article about electric vehicle startup Faraday Future, the first comment is always a variation of “where is the car?” or “vaporware”. That’s because EV enthusiasts were mostly disappointed after the company stumbled out of stealth mode at CES 2016 by unveiling the not-really-meant-for-production FFZERO1 concept.

They want to see an actual car they can potentially buy and we can now report that the company is closer than ever to show what it is really working to offer to consumers.

The heavily-camouflaged crossover prototype has been spotted a few times in recent months, but sightings have increased in the past few days as Faraday continues testing the vehicle on public roads.

Sources within FF’s supply chain told Electrek that the startup took delivery of several aluminum body-in-white for the same vehicle as the prototype seen in the sightings.

An Electrek reader sent us some pictures of the car spotted around Los Angeles this week:

The vehicle is still heavily camouflaged, but we get a good idea of the size and shape. We can also see a sensor on the roof toward the back and two slots for front-facing sensors in the rearview mirror cutout.

Sources, again within FF’s supply chain, told Electrek that the company is trying to have dozens of pre-production vehicles ready early next year, but an official unveiling of a prototype could happen as soon as toward the end of Q4 2016.

The crossover/SUV is expected to enter the luxury segment, potentially a competitor to Tesla’s Model X, but likely even more expensive – though the startup is considering different ownership models that could reduce the entry price.

Additionally, we recently reported that Faraday Future reportedly signed a massive $2.4 billion supply contract with LG Chem for battery cells and its partner, LeEco, recently raised $1.08 billion USD to finance its electric car effort.

Update: and here’s a video:

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Stay up to date with the latest content by subscribing to Electrek on Google News. You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our YouTube channel for the latest reviews.

Comments

Author

Avatar for Fred Lambert Fred Lambert

Fred is the Editor in Chief and Main Writer at Electrek.

You can send tips on Twitter (DMs open) or via email: fred@9to5mac.com

Through Zalkon.com, you can check out Fred’s portfolio and get monthly green stock investment ideas.


Manage push notifications

notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications
notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications