BYTON Showcased K-Byte Concept and M-Byte at Pebble Beach
Intelligent electric vehicle maker BYTON showcased its latest innovations at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 26, including the U.S. debut of the BYTON K-Byte Concept on the prestigious Concept Car Lawn.
SEE ALSO: Byton Debuts its K-Byte Self-driving Concept Sedan
The company also featured its M-Byte Concept SUV at Pebble Beach, a production version of which is scheduled to launch in China in late 2019 and the U.S. and Europe by 2020.
As an ambitious startup taking on autonomous driving, BYTON’s vehicles are smart devices on wheels, all featuring high-speed connectivity and the proprietary Shared Experience Display (SED), a full-dash, door-to-door screen that delivers an unmatched digital user experience.
The new K-Byte Concept will measure 4.95m in length, 1.95m in width and 1.5m in height, with a 3.0m wheelbase. A production version of the K-Byte Concept is set to hit showrooms in 2021. It also features an impressive 49-inch full-touch display splashed across the center dash.
Drivers can experience gesture control through Air Touch, interact using voice command and activate the main controls with the BYTON Driver Tablet.
After releasing its first electric M-Byte Concept at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this January, BYTON has followed up by launching a series of business developments in the months following.
New developments include the announcement of a partnership with FAW Group which also led BYTON’s $500 million series B round. In February, BYTON announced a partnership with Aurora, a self-driving technology startup, to jointly develop Level 4 autonomous driving.
Dai Lei, the co-founder of BYTON, was excited to showcase the new K-byte and M-byte concepts at Concours d’Elegance. He believes that BYTON’s participation in an invite-only event geared mainly towards high-end luxury cars was an indication that BYTON is very well-regarded by the organizers.
According to Dai, the pricing for the M-Byte will begin at 300,000 yuan ($45,000), a still profitable range thanks to BYTON’s effective cost control as a startup. The annual production plan is scheduled to hit 300,000 units after it is released in the Chinese market. The production versions of its electric sedan and MPV will be delivered in 2021 and 2022.
At present, BYTON has closed its series B round of financing, bringing the total funding of the company to $800 million. The series C round is expected after the mass production in 2019.
