- Faraday Future outlines its plan to start producing more affordable EVs.
- The first to be shown is an electric people carrier, followed by a Tesla Model Y rival and then a sedan.
- The company released a teaser image showing the lighting signature of the upcoming crossover.
Faraday Future is, somehow, still around and making cars, but it’s having a hard time selling them. One reason why its annual sales figure is in the very low double digits may have something to do with the fact that its only current offering, the FF 91, costs between $249,000 and $309,000.
However, it wants to change its fortunes with a line of much more affordable models where pricing starts in the $20,000 range—allegedly, anyway.
The company’s plan to go affordable is nothing new, but so far it seems to be progressing according to plan. During the company’s annual Stockholders’ Day, it offered guests rides in “prototype mules” for its upcoming FX 4, FX 6 and FX Super One.
The latter will be the first to be unveiled during a dedicated event on June 29, with its official public debut happening a bit later, on July 17. The FX Super One is an electric minivan, described as “the first First Class AI-MPV in the U.S.,” which is expected to start at less than $50,000. This will be the new FX range’s most expensive offering.
The FX Super One will go on sale first. FF is targeting fleet orders and wants to sell the minivan directly to businesses. It says it’s already reached 600 binding pre-orders and 2,500 non-binding pre-orders, even though the model hasn’t been publicly revealed yet.
At the other end of the new lineup will sit the FX 4, which is believed to be a cheaper rival to the Tesla Model Y. The company has even bolder ambitions with the FX 4, which it calls “the disruptor of RAV4 in the AIEV era.” It has already shown attendees at its Stockholders’ Day a rendering of the model, which hasn’t been made public, but it also revealed a teaser showing its obscured front fascia.
If you’re wondering what an AIEV—an acronym that’s increasingly present in FF’s press materials—it refers to AI-powered electric vehicles. The company doesn’t explain exactly what it means, but it’s likely referring to these vehicles having AI-powered virtual assistants and other systems whose functionality is boosted by the use of artificial intelligence.
FF says it will release the product plan for the FX4 by the end of Q3 2025, when it will presumably also reveal the vehicle. It intends to open pre-orders for the FX4 this year, when it should also reveal the pricing structure.
The FX4 and FX6 will cover a price range between $20,000 and $50,000. They will feature technology and features from the FF 91 flagship brought down to a much more attainable price.
The company hasn’t said what will underpin its cheaper models, but it will likely use a scaled-down and simplified version of its Variable Platform Architecture (VPA). Getting a $20,000 EV infused with the tech from one that costs $300,000 (that costs a fraction to buy used) sounds great, and the flagship FF 91 is a cool car with lots of unique features, including no fewer than 10 screens inside, but we wonder how FF can produce cars at such a low price point and not lose money on every single one it sells.
Photo by: Faraday Future
Photo by: Faraday Future
As with everything FF, all of this should be taken with a grain of salt. Or maybe a gallon of it.
In 2022, FF signed an agreement with the Huanggang municipality in Hubei province, where the local administration agreed to support the company in establishing a presence there. This clearly indicated FF’s desire to manufacture vehicles in China, but the company has remained quiet about its plans in the country since. With tariffs now imposed on imported cars, manufacturing outside the United States for the U.S. market doesn’t seem like such a good idea now.
And then there’s the trouble with its founder, Yueting “YT” Jia, who has faced legal issues and backlash from broken promises for about a decade now.
Thus, please us for being skeptical when we hear plans of Rolls-Royce ambitions at Dacia prices from a company that has struggled since its inception and has sold less than 100 cars in total so far. The fact that it has actual prototypes of the FX4 crossover and the FX6, which looks like a sedan, does lend FF some extra credibility. However, until we see these new models fully unveiled with a clear pricing structure, production plans and direction, we’ll be holding on to that salt shaker.