Byton CEO and co-founder Carsten Breitfeld spoke about this expansion during last week's Los Angeles Auto Show. The company was showing off the M-Byte SUV concept, their first model, at the event. They also have plans for a sedan in late 2020, and a seven-seater SUV after that.
With trade conditions and automotive tariffs being in an unstable state right now between the U.S. and China, it's hard to imagine cross-continental trade being viable. But according to Breitfeld, they have contingencies in place for local production to bypass the cost.
The Byton M-Byte is a small SUV with a base price of $45,000. It advertises a 200-mile range, but few other specs were available. The K-Byte will follow suit, offering less weight and improved performance while being built on the same platform.
Byton is looking to be a more reasonable electric option in the States, while companies like Tesla and Faraday focus more on the higher end. The lower-cost electric will have all of the comforts of modern technology, including level 3 self-driving technology, without the higher end cost.
"Our basic principles have been, be credible, be down to earth, be realistic. You have to show the world you can deliver, because if not, you lose support from investors and partners and cannot build up a credible brand."
