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Described as a “next-generation smart device” by Chinese manufacturers Byton, the as-yet untitled car could also be another stepping stone towards widespread use of autonomous vehicles, David Bailey from Aston Business School told Professional Engineering
Byton will unveil the SUV-style car at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Sunday (7 January). The start-up said the vehicle, which has so far only been teased online, is “uniquely built for the coming era of truly shared, smart mobility and autonomous driving.”
Features include a facial recognition camera to recognise and unlock the door for drivers or passengers, internal voice recognition and biometric identification, and “Air Touch” sensors for passengers to control a display with hand gestures.
It will also include an array of internal screens, adaptable external LEDs for different driving scenarios and a bespoke cloud platform to connect drivers’ or passengers’ apps, data and devices for work and entertainment.
Smart technology roll-out will make cars more useable and attractive for potential buyers, said Bailey.
“I think a lot of these features will become much more common,” he said. “There will be much more around security, and that will have to happen in part to improve the security of connected vehicles… to make sure they can’t be hacked so easily.”
The Byton car will be another step on the way through the levels of autonomy, added Bailey: feet off, hands off, eyes off, brain off.
The announcement comes during a boom for electric vehicle manufacturers in China. The country is the world’s fastest growing market for the technology, and the government has pushed the shift away from internal combustion engines as it strives to tackle hazardous urban air quality.
“There’s a lot of innovation going on in China,” Bailey said. “China is already the biggest producer of electric cars in the world, I think about half a million electric vehicles of various sorts were produced in China last year, and the Chinese government is pushing it in a very big way.”
Byton’s decision to unveil the car at CES rather than a purely automotive show also reveals a shift in the sector, said Bailey. As cars evolve, mobility is also changing and manufacturers are aware that in future people may hire autonomous rides from Uber-like companies rather than purchasing their own vehicle.
The car has a reported potential range of up to 500km, roughly equal to the Tesla Model 3 with a long-range battery pack. Byton will build the car in Nanjing, China, and release to its domestic market in 2019. The company hopes to release in the US and Europe in 2020.
The unveiling is set for 3pm local time (11pm GMT) on Sunday. To watch the launch, visit the website.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.