Byton has unveiled in Frankfurt its M-Byte SUV with an innovative cockpit centred around a 48-inch curved display claimed to be the largest in the industry.
Users can interact with the display via seven inch driver tablet, eight-inch front passenger tablet, gesture control, voice commands (Amazon Alexa) plus well as traditional hard buttons.
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The premium SUV will be offered with a 72kWh battery (224 miles/360km WLTP range) or an extended version with 95kWh (286miles/460km).
The rear-wheel drive version is rated at 268hp (200kW while the AWD comes with an additional front e-motor for combined power of 402hp (300kW).
AC charging is up to 22kW, while DC fast charging is up to 150kW. The automaker said a 10-minute fast charge is sufficient for about 60 miles (100km).
M-Byte is the startup’s first model to go into series production in its own 8.6m sq ft plant in Nanjing, China.
The vehicle is positioned in the premium segment with a MSRP of US$45,000. As a fully electric vehicle, the M-Byte is expected to qualify for various government incentives in China and abroad.
Byton plans to start production for China in mid-2020. Pre-orders in Europe and North America will start in 2020, followed by market entry in 2021.
The startup is about to close its $500m C-round fundraising. Investors include FAW Group and the industrial investment fund of the Nanjing municipal government.
