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Byton electric SUV includes a 49-inch dashboard touch screen

by Mark Tyson on 9 January 2018, 10:01

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A new electric car has been causing a stir at the CES 2018 in Las Vegas. The automobile in the spotlight is the Byton electric SUV. Byton is a Chinese company but the car was designed by former BMW and Apple employees, notes the BBC. As it stands the Byton SUV is claimed to be the “world’s first Smart Intuitive Vehicle”. It isn’t a fully autonomous automobile, it will have level 3 self-driving capabilities at launch (aims for level 4 later in development) but it is in other ways bristling with interesting technology.

Central to the car experience, once you have let yourself in via facial recognition, will be the host of displays within the vehicle. The car dashboard contains a vast 49 x 9.8-inch screen as a ‘shared experience’ controlled by touch, voice and gestures, and this is augmented by further displays; in the steering wheel, and two in the back. Interestingly when in self-driving mode the car’s front seats can turn inwards for greater comfort and sociability. It seems this feature will have to wait until the car is updated from level 3 to level 4 self driving tech.

Further information about the car includes that it is capable of going from 0-60mph in about five seconds, it has a range of up to 325 miles (520km), and it takes only 30 minutes to charge the battery up to 80 per cent with ‘fast DC charging’. For getting data to all your in-car systems and displays Byton boasts that multiple modems and fully integrated flat antennas provide a bandwidth of up to 1000Mbit/s. You will be able to install multiple SIM cards and there is Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and shared connectivity on board. Byton asserts that security is at the heart of its vehicle design to protect your data, safety and the vehicle as completely as possible.

Byton has started to construct its production facilities in Nanjing, China. Multiple corporate backers include the likes of internet giant Tencent. The new SUV is expected to launch late 2019 to 2020 with a starting price of $45,000 (£33,000).



HEXUS Forums :: 12 Comments

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Have to admit exterior design is nicer looking than most of these road hogging lumps. Range and charge time look pretty acceptable too. Worrying thing for me here is that bloody screen , nothing resembling a car dash and if anything could distract a drivers attention from the road this is definitely it. Dangerous I think.
I think EV manufacturers need to stop making an Electric Car “futuristic” filled to the nonce with gadgets and gizmos and really just make a car that's a electric. There are a few about, I think Tesla is the only one striking a middle ground between future crazy and grounded reality.
that it is capable of going from 0-60mph in about five seconds
I still fail to see how this is in any way a good thing… Just means people will take more risks pulling out from junctions and off the lights.

mers
if anything could distract a drivers attention from the road this is definitely it. Dangerous I think.
Exactly - This proves cars are too dangerous to be trusted to a human and everything must be computer-controlled from now on…!
Welcome, Neo… to the Real World…..!!
MAJOR problem of such massive dashboard screen is the blinding light while driving at night
lumireleon
MAJOR problem of such massive dashboard screen is the blinding light while driving at night

Most cars with large-ish LCD screens will switch to a much darker colour scheme when they detect the outside lighting conditions have gotten dark. The far bigger problem is that touch-screens aren't easy to use without taking your eyes off the road. If you have a physical button for something, muscle memory will teach you where it is and what it feels like so you can operate it without looking once you're familiar with it. A touch screen is far harder to use, especially if the road is a little (or more) bumpy.