Electric carmaker startup Byton has just premiered its Crossover Concept at CES 2018 in Las Vegas and if the vehicle reaches production, it could be a very tantalizing prospect.
Byton has revealed that its crossover will be able to travel approximately 250 miles in base specification and feature a battery that can be charged with 150 miles of range in a mere 20 minutes. Additionally, it’ll take just 30 minutes to top the battery up to 80 per cent of its capacity.
Beyond its powertrain, Byton says the Crossover Concept will have Level 3 autonomous functionality by the time it hits the production launch and be capable of achieving Level 4 autonomy at a later date. Byton has also ditched traditional wing mirrors for the crossover and instead uses two small cameras that direct vision to the vehicle’s cabin.
The exterior design of the vehicle is intriguing but it is the cabin where things get really interesting. The concept features a huge 49-inch display that stretches the whole width of the dashboard which Byton says will make its way into the production vehicle. Furthermore, the Crossover Concept adopts a large display in the center of the steering wheel but we don’t think that'll make it to production due to the lack of space for an airbag.
Other intriguing features of the vehicle include a customized version of Amazon Alexa and the ability for the car to monitor the heart rate and blood pressure of occupants.
The founders of Byton say the crossover will reach production in 2019 and start at around $45,000 with the Chinese, U.S., and European markets all being targeted. If the vehicle proves successful, it could be joined by an electric sedan and electric MPV.
