Byton Electric SUV - Smartphone on wheels

Byton Electric SUV - Smartphone on wheels - TheArsenale

Unveiled at the CES in Las Vegas, Chinese start-up Byton unveiled their electric SUV that seems to be more oriented towards technology and smart features rather than power. Byton seems to be putting all of its efforts to make driving as smart and as connected as possible, a true "smartcar". President and co-founder Daniel Kirchert stated that "Byton is more inspired by Apple than by Tesla."

Instead of a traditional dashboard, a 49-inch long digital screen takes the entire space of the cabin. This allows both the driver and front passenger to interact with the car by gestures, touchscreen or even voice commands. Amazon's Alexa is integrated into the car so you'll have your digital assistant on the road. It also has integrated artificial intelligence that's able to recognize your preferences over time. The facial recognition will make your keys obsolete.

The Byton SUV will be upgradeable, both in software and hardware. This SUV will launch with Level 3 self-driving capability and Level 4 is expected to come in 2020. Power figures are quite impressive also, with a 201hp front motor and a 268hp motor in the back. A 71kWh lithium-ion battery will be the entry one, with a 95 kWh battery being optional. Range is 200 miles and 310 miles respectively. High-speed charging will allow you to add 150 miles of range in only 20 minutes and it only takes 30 minutes to charge 80% of the battery.