200MPH Electric Race Car Premiers at CES 2016

FFZERO1. (Courtesy of Faraday Future.)

Faraday Future’s FFZERO1 concept electric vehicle debuted at CES 2016 along with the engineering platform that was used to create it.

Modular Architecture for Electric Cars

The FFZERO1 was built on proprietary Variable Platform Architecture (VPA), a modular engineering system that specifically caters to electric vehicles. Faraday Future’s long-term goal is to use this platform to build all of their future electric cars.

The framework can be altered by shortening and lengthening the rails and other structures to accommodate the number of battery strings for each configuration.

FFZERO1 chassis. (Image courtesy of Faraday Future.)

The company claims the VPA offers easily charged and replaced strings of batteries rather than a fixed battery pack.

One of the safety enhancements that come with the VPA’s design are large crumple zones that centralize and protect the battery pack.

FFZERO1 chassis. (Image courtesy of Faraday Future.)

One-motor to three-motor configurations make it possible to modify the vehicles’ characteristics, like rear-, front- and all-wheel drive systems, extended range options and various outputs.

For a more visual explanation of the VPA, watch this video.

Overall, the VPA aims to help lower production costs, enhance safety and quality, bring the FFZERO1 to market faster and support electric vehicles of different types and sizes.

The FFZERO1 Concept

The FFZERO1 concept features adaptive personalization, smooth transfer of custom vehicle configurations and access to real-time images as well as data visualization.

Watch the FFZERO1 concept video below.

A smartphone serves as a connection between the driver and the vehicle via a docking port in the middle of the steering column.

Steering column with integrated smartphone technology. (Photo courtesy of Faraday Future.)

Faraday Future hopes that this concept could one day support a fully autonomous electric race car. The FFZERO1 could one meet its driver at the track and do a few laps on its own while the driver warms up.

The FFZERO1 Interior

The interior of the FFZERO1 is mainly white with a carbon fiber surface. It resembles the look of a clean and quiet electric vehicle, which is unusual for a race car. The driver may have to invest in a few Mr. Clean Magic Erasers to keep up with the pristine aesthetic of the interior.

The driver sits at a 45-degree angle to promote circulation. (Photo courtesy of Faraday Future.)

The NASA-inspired seat positions the driver at a 45-degree angle to increase circulation throughout the body.

A propeller-shaped asymmetrical panel is connected to the Halo Safety System. The system collects the driver’s biometric data and also includes head and neck support as well as a helmet that provides the driver with oxygen and water.

The FFZERO1 Exterior

FFZERO1. (Photo courtesy of Faraday Future.)

The exterior is in the shape of an aerodynamic teardrop and is made of lightweight materials.

“Aero tunnels” running throughout the vehicle allow air to pass through the car instead of around it. This not only reduces drag but also improves the battery cooling process.

FFZERO1 Performance

The electric vehicle travels at a maximum speed of 200 MPH. (Image courtesy of Faraday Future.)

FFZERO1 has four motors, one located at each wheel, that provide the car with more than 1000 horsepower. The vehicle can go from zero to 60 mph in less than three seconds and has a maximum speed of 200 mph (321 kph).

This 3-D experience video will give you a sense of what it looks like to drive the FFZERO1.

Manufacturing FFZERO1

FFZERO1. (Photo courtesy of Faraday Future.)

Faraday Future is planning to invest $1 billion into a state of the art manufacturing factory in North Las Vegas.

The company claims the 3 million square foot facility will be environmentally friendly and employ 4,500 people. For comparison, Tesla Motors has a factory that is 5.3 million square feet.

Faraday Future is an automotive, aerospace and technology company based out of California. For more information, visit Faraday Future’s website.

To follow along with what’s happening at CES 2016, search #CES2016 on Twitter.