SF Motors presents two E-SUVs with 500km range
The Chinese company SF Motors, seated in Silicon Valley, has presented two new electric models at their Santa Clara headquarters. The SF5 is a compact SUV and the SF7 is a considerably larger Crossover SUV.
Both models have a range of up to 500 km and a performance of 735 kW. The sprint from 0-100 km is completed by both vehicles in under three seconds. Both SUVs will also have components to enable partially autonomous driving.
As John Zhang, SF Motors CEO, said in an interview with Forbes, the external design was made in California, while the interior was designed in collaboration with German partners. Unlike many other Chinese startups, SF Motors has the advantage of not only receiving financial support from its mother company Sokon, but also has access to research and development, as well as design capabilities in the USA, China, Germany and Japan.
The ordering for the SF5 is expected to be opened this year, and first deliveries are expected in early 2019. The prices have not been released so far, but Zhang indicated that the entry price may be under 50,000 dollars.
Both models will be produced in China as well as the USA. SF Motors purchased a former Hummer factory in Indiana last year reportedly. The premium electric SUVs will be produced for the North American market there. The factory is currently still being refitted, but production will likely start before the year is out. The production capacity will be around 50,000 vehicles annually, according to SF Motors. As the company is planning to produce another 150,000 vehicles in their Chinese factory in Chongqing, they may be producing up to 200,000 vehicles per year as of next year.
The manufacturer’s ambition is further marked by the recent purchase of the battery manufacturing specialist InEVit, which was founded by the Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard. Since then Eberhard has been working as an innovation manager for the company.
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