Byton, a Chinese electric vehicle startup is planning to grab the fanbase of Tesla. Co-founded in 2016 by former BMW and Nissan Motor executives, the company has just showcased the production-ready cabin of its battery-electric SUV, with lot of features, a flabbergasting 48-inch display and much more at the ongoing CES 2019 in Las Vegas.
Shared Experience Display!
According to the company, it is called “Shared Experience Display” (SED), and it stretches from one end to another. Byton also promises the display does not intervene with the driver’s line of sight. If that’s not enough, there is another display incorporated within the steering wheel as well, which allows the driver to configure the car offered by SED. Basically, the car is full of screens.
Seven touch displays inside the car!
Oh, wait! It’s not done yet. The production variant comes equipped with an 8-inch touchpad installed between the front seats to interact with SED. The passengers at the back also get their own display connected directly to the infotainment. In total, the car has seven touch displays in the car and they run on the company’s Byte OS. Furthermore, Byton also has an app, and it enables users to alter the interior colour, open the doors, and much more.
Will take over wheels automatically, if you are not well!
For the starters, users can interact with the car through a voice assistant (Google/Alexa) and can display any information obtainable on the internet. This SUV also monitors your health status and suggests taking over the wheel when you are feeling unwell.
Level 3 autonomous capable
According to the company, M-Byte will be level 3 autonomous capable i.e. autonomous motorway driving. Byton is working with Californian startup Aurora to test and develop the self-driving technologies. Moreover, the team will be rolling out frequent updates to make this car relevant and stretch its lifespan considerably. The official partners are FAW, Baidu, Faurecia, Bosch, CATL, and Amazon.
Could this be ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ moment for Europe?
The M-Byte electric SUV will be available initially in homeland China, followed by North America and Europe in 2020. However, Byton will be encountering some resistance when it comes to Europe since EU regulations have a restrictive effect. While the U.S. and China enjoy the autonomous technology, it is legally not allowed in Europe and one could presume that the law will also prohibit the use of the giant screen unless the car is motionless. Well, SED is of no use then right?
According to Benoit Jacob, Byton, VP of design and Ex-BMW I Head of Design, the Chinese startup is in close contact with the authorities and the system allows enough flexibility to comply with local standards. Notably, the company’s vehicle concept and design centre are located in Munich.
Choice of two variants!
All said and done, Byton will commence the production of M-Byte towards the end of 2019 at the Nanjing plant in China. Customers can choose between two variants — a 71-kWh, a 250-mile base model and 95-kWh, 325-mile variant. The base model is expected to cost around $45,000.
With the evolution of the sophisticated autonomous vehicle, we are now on the cusp of their rapid deployment in industrial applications. Looks like Byton’s M-Byte is a classic example over here. What do you think about the Tesla competitor? Let us know in the comments section below.
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