Chinese startup Byton to launch electric SUV at CES on 7 January

New Chinese marque Byton will unveil what it bills a ‘next-generation smart device’ in the form of an electric SUV at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on 7 January.

Nanjing based Byton is a new brand by Chinese e-car start up Future Mobility, co-founded by former BMW and Nissan executives. Carsten Breitfeld, the former head of BMW’s i division, is the firm’s CEO. Along with its Chinese headquarters, Byton owns studios and research and development facilities in Munich and Santa Clara, California.

• CES 2018 show preview

In preview images released prior to the as yet unnamed car’s CES unveiling, we see a huge digital display screen seen spanning across the dashboard and on the steering wheel, which can be used by both the driver and the passenger. A secondary display is embedded in the steering wheel. The car will boast 5G WiFi connectivity too, plus a user interface that recognises the driver’s face, voice and hand gestures.

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Image 6 of 8

While the mid-sized SUV’s exterior design remains under wraps, the soft round shape appears conventional, but unique tweaks such as the web of LED strips at the front are hinted at.

Byton claims that its car will boast a suite of autonomous drive functions, while it will also make use of machine learning to examine and remember surroundings and scenarios, and communicate with other Byton cars. The electric motor has a range of over 300 miles and it can be adequately charged with a week’s worth of power ‘in the time it takes you to enjoy a cup of coffee,’ according to the Chinese brand.

The car will be unveiled at CES on 7 January, alongside a host of new and futuristic autonomous electric vehicles from the likes of Fisker and Rinspeed.

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