While the auto industry's attention has been focused on New York this week, a Chinese-backed Silicon Valley startup has become the latest to introduce its first entrants into the burgeoning EV universe.
Hardly a day goes by now without another relatively unknown company claiming to be on the verge of launching new EVs with breathtaking power ratings, though not many of them are actually on our roads yet.
California-based, Chinese-backed startup SF Motors is the latest of these, unveiling its new electric vehicles, theSF5 and SF7 electric SUVs, at a special launch event this week.
Both models share a common platform, and they have been put together using batteries and motors developed in-house by the company.
The mid-size SF5 will be the first to go on sale, starting delivery in 2019. The full-size SF7 will follow later.
What's new here is the fact that SF Motors will offer the electric SUVs to buyers with a choice of powertrain configurations, ranging from one to as many as four electric motors. Those equipped with a full complement of four motors will boast a total output of more than 1,000 horsepower, which should translate into sub-3 second 0-to-60mph times.
The liquid-cooled battery pack should be good for a 300-mile driving range, and an onboard range-extender will be included to make these genuinely usable daily drivers.
Of course, there will be a healthy dose of cutting-edge semi-autonomy and driver-aids, and a little extra excitement will come in the shape of a thrilling ride, courtesy of big wheels, multilink suspension, air springs with continuous damping control, rear steering and all-wheel-drive torque vectoring.
The only big unanswered questions are how much these EVs will cost, and whether the eventual production versions will have the same somewhat questionable styling.
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