The company hopes to sell the cars in the US in 2020
Chinese-backed car manufacturer NIO showcased its EP9
electric supercar last November in London, but this weekend at SXSW,
the company unveiled its concept consumer autonomous vehicle, the NIO
EVE.
NIO used to be known as NextEV, and is backed by a number
of Chinese venture capital firms, and has hired people from companies
such as Tesla, Ford, and Lyft. Just a concept at this stage, the EVE is a
look at what the company feels will be the future of autonomous
vehicles. Designed for regular commuting or longer road trips, the car’s
designers focused on the seating areas and interior functions for the
passengers. US CEO Padmasree Warrior described the vehicle as a
companion and a mobile living area that will take people from place to
place. To that end, the company is betting that passengers will be
interested in entertainment while they ride, so it plans to have the
interior glass double as smart displays.
NIO also intends to have its passengers interact with an
“artificial intelligence engine” called NOMI to control the vehicle,
although the car can be driven manually if needed. The company noted
that it plans to bring the car to the US market by 2020, according to
Warrior. That’s an ambitious goal for the company, given that it noted
in its handout on the car that it’s shooting for an implausible range of
600 miles, with a wireless charging system that will provide 200 miles
with a 10-minute charge.
There’s a lot that will likely change, given
that this is just a concept. But, it’s interesting to see the company
design the car with the eye toward how passengers will keep themselves
occupied while catching a ride to their destination.
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