1000HP Faraday FFZero1 EV Concept Is Ridiculously Slick Take On Green Hypercars
The Faraday Future FFZero1 is built on a modular Variable Platform Architecture (VPA), which allows the company to produce many types of vehicles with varying wheelbases and tracks. VPA also allows for front-, rear- or all-wheel-drive configurations along with one-, two- or even three-motor powertrain layouts.
In the case of the FFZero1, we’re looking at an all-wheel-drive beast that has 1,000hp, can theoretically dash to 60 mph in less than three seconds and can reach a top speed of 200mph (the Tesla Model S P85D gives up at 155mph). This hypercar only has a single seat for the driver (the driver sits at a 45-degree angle), so don’t even think about asking a passenger to join you (unless you plan on strapping them to the roof).
As for its styling, you won’t mistake it for any other vehicle currently on American roads; that’s for certain. The FFZero1 looks like a cross between a futuristic Batmobile and an endurance racer that you might see running laps at Le Mans. Whatever the case, the FFZero1 was designed to cheat the air first and foremost, and it shows in the aerodynamic flourishes that litter the vehicle’s exterior including aero tunnels similar to what we’ve seen on Ford’s gorgeous GT.
And given the concept nature of the FFZero1, you won’t find an airbag at the center of its race-inspired steering wheel. Instead, you’ll find a smartphone that contains configurable vehicle settings like electronic stability control, traction control and even throttle response.
But unlike the Model S P85D, the FFZero1 is first and foremost a concept – albeit an incredibly cool one -- and might never see the light of day as a production model. Instead, the FFZero1 is simply a proof of concept for Faraday Future, which will spend roughly $1 billion to build a 3 million square foot manufacturing facility in North Las Vegas for its upcoming electric vehicles. Once constructed, the facility will accommodate 4,500 employees.
That’s where the VPA comes into play, allowing Faraday Future to create a whole family of vehicles ranging from sports cars to sedans to crossovers to even minivans (if the market can sustain such a large electric-only people mover). This is similar in concept to what Tesla has done with the Model S and Model X, and the upcoming Model III is destined to spawn its own family of vehicles including a crossover that slots in below the Model X.
But can Faraday Future repeat the successes that Tesla has found in recent years? Its mission plan looks good on paper, but we’ll be waiting to see if the company can actually execute in the real world.