Faraday Future FF91 beats the odds and enters pre-production

Faraday Future's path to becoming an automaker has been long and peppered with setbacks, but the company has reached a significant milestone. It unveiled the first production-intent example of the FF91, an electric crossover set to be manufactured in Hanford, California.

Getting to the pre-production stage represents the fourth of seven goals laid out by the company in October 2021. The first three milestones were related to the factory (manufacturing equipment notably needed to be installed), while the last three also focus on the facility; Faraday Future needs to start all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems in the plant, for example, and finish installing equipment in the areas that will build the series-produced FF91. The seventh and final milestone is launching regular production.

Until then, the company will make additional pre-production cars and test them all around the world. While specifications haven't been released yet, previous prototypes were powered by a trio of 350-horsepower electric motors that draw electricity from a massive, 130-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack to zap the four wheels with 1,050 horsepower. Less powerful variants should be offered as well.

Visually, it doesn't look like the FF91 has changed significantly since we drove an early prototype in Las Vegas in 2020. It's still characterized by an out-of-this-world design whose proportions blur the line between a crossover and a big hatchback. It's the same story inside, where the dashboard remains dominated by screens and touch-sensitive surfaces. The two rear passengers sit on business class-like seats.

Faraday Future expects that the FF91 will enter series production in the third quarter of 2022, so additional details should emerge in the next few months. As we reported in 2020, the company plans to expand its range with smaller models called FF81 and FF71, respectively.

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