Yahoo Autos Faraday Future Finally Delivers First Production-Spec FF 91 Electric SUV
Faraday Future, an EV startup based in California, has announced that it has delivered its first FF 91 2.0 Futurist Alliance, a 1050-hp electric crossover.
The automaker has had a troubled past, with years of financial challenges delaying deliveries as Faraday Future sought more funding.
The company says it is "actively signing purchase agreements" with more potential customers for the $309,000 SUV.
Faraday Future has faced constant struggles since unveiling its electric FF 91 crossover at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2017. There were lawsuits from suppliers and a factory in Las Vegas that never materialized, and the company's founder filed for bankruptcy in 2019. But Faraday Future reemerged in 2021 by going public on the Nasdaq stock exchange, and the embattled startup now says it has finally delivered its first production vehicle, handing over an FF 91 2.0 Futurist Alliance at a recent event.
Deliveries of the FF 91 were originally slated to begin in 2018, but financial troubles continually delayed the car. Faraday Future acquired its factory—a former Pirelli tire plant—in Hanford, California, in late 2017 and claimed to have built its first "production intent" prototype in February 2022. But the initially delivery target of late 2022 was pushed back yet again as the company sought additional funding. Now it appears that Faraday Future finally has solid footing, securing enough money earlier this month to start deliveries of road-ready FF 91s.
Faraday Future provided a photo of the smiling customers with their new machine and said this first owner is affiliated with Private Collection Motors, a luxury car dealership in Costa Mesa, California. However, Faraday Future's delivery process is shrouded in marketing jargon, with the company describing itself as "the pioneer of the Ultimate Intelligent TechLuxury ultra spire market in the intelligent EV era" and referencing its prospective customers as "spire users" and "Developer Co-Creators."
First Owner or First User?
The choice of the word "user" instead of "owner" in Faraday Future's press release make us question whether this initial FF 91 was paid for or is being gifted or loaned. The so-called "Developer Co-Creator" title appears to involve turning the customers into partners to boost the value of the company, granting early access to the car in return for "consulting, branding, and other arrangements with FF in exchange for fees ranging from approximately $225,000 to $475,000," according to the company.
The first FF 91 to be delivered was a special edition model called the 2.0 Futurist Alliance, which costs $309,000 before the destination charge. The FF 91's 142.0-kWh battery pack is rated for an EPA-estimated 381 miles of range and feeds three motors that churn out 1050 horsepower, rocketing the FF 91 to 60 mph in a claimed 2.3 seconds.
Faraday Future says it is "actively signing purchase agreements" with more customers and says each of its "spire users" will receive "unique and unparalleled... customized delivery ceremonies." We will continue to keep a close eye on Faraday Future as the automaker continues its slow rollout of the FF 91, and we hope to get our hands on an example soon.
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