Faraday Future’s FX Super One electric and range-extender hybrid minivan might be ‘US-built’, but it’s actually a semi-knockdown version of a GWM model from China.
The second model from US electric-car start-up Faraday Future has debuted – and while its announcement mentions artificial intelligence (AI) technology at least 50 times, it does not disclose that its ‘new’ luxury minivan is actually a reworked Chinese car.
The Faraday Future FX Super One minivan will follow the FF 91 electric car, which debuted in 2017 and was launched in 2023, with around 20 examples delivered to date, all reportedly gifted or subsidised by the carmaker.
Claimed to be a “disruptor of the Cadillac Escalade in the EAI EV [embodied artificial intelligence electric vehicle] era”, the FX Super One will be assembled in California using a ‘semi knocked-down’ (SKD) kit of the Wey Gaoshan 9, in a deal with China’s Great Wall Motors (GWM).
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An SKD kit means the vehicle will be partially built in China in a GWM factory, but final assembly will be completed in the US by Faraday Future, rather than a complete knock-down (CKD).
Car News China reports GWM and Faraday Future discussed how to avoid tariffs for importing the minivan into the United States, and the company was unable to meet GWM’s minimum order quantity to justify the investment in new tooling or production line changes in China.
However, it is not simply a rebadge of the GWM Wey model, with Faraday Future adding a giant “AI F.A.C.E.” digital screen to the front of the FX Super One.
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It has been shown in marketing material to display different images, such as emojis, a fireplace, ‘Best Actress’ for transport to an awards ceremony, and a virtual ‘EAI’ avatar.
The company has emphasised its claimed use of artificial intelligence in its new minivan – mentioning the term at least 50 times in its media release – including for its extended-range plug-in hybrid powertrain.
An all-electric version will also be offered, with both powertrains featuring all-wheel drive as standard.
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Faraday Future says a four-seat Greatest of All Time (GOAT) edition – aimed at transporting VIPs – will be available, with an “ultra-large, retractable panoramic display”, Dolby Atmos spatial audio, a dual-zone refrigerator between the rear captain’s chairs, and zero-gravity seats.
A six-seat and seven-seat configuration will also be offered in the FX Super One.
Pricing for the FX Super One minivan has not been announced, but Faraday Future promises “tech luxury without the $300k price tag” ($AU450,000).
Its first model, the Faraday Future FF91 coupe SUV, currently has a base price of $US309,000 ($AU465,000), with fewer than 20 examples officially reported as sold since its launch in 2023.
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More-affordable SUVs have been teased by the Los Angeles-based company, which last week said it had secured $US105 million ($AU160 million) in funding to develop its new models.
GWM is considering adding luxury cars from its Wey brand to its Australian line-up, which would join its Haval, Tank, Ora, and Cannon models in local showrooms.
The first Wey model in local GWM showrooms could be the car-based Lanshan six-seat SUV – translating to ‘Blue Mountain’ – which would be a more road-focused alternative to the GWM Tank 500 hybrid off-roader.
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