Here's a Faraday Future article on the Verge.
Behind the scenes at Faraday Future, an electric carmaker on the brink of collapse
Behind the scenes at Faraday Future, an electric carmaker on the brink of collapse
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Fun Faraday Future article
- Thread starter JeffK
- Start date
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- Electric Vehicles
BluestarE3
Active Member
When you say "fun", do you mean it as in having fun participating in a hot chili pepper eating contest? 
Even if FF got an immediate infusion of cash, it still doesn't add clarity into what they are doing. It almost seems the company is being groomed for failure by intent: its major investor also backing a doppelganger EV company, describing its product in vague marketing-speak terms, showing off an absurd Batmobile instead of the expected prototype, placing all its IP in a separate company, etc.
Even if FF got an immediate infusion of cash, it still doesn't add clarity into what they are doing. It almost seems the company is being groomed for failure by intent: its major investor also backing a doppelganger EV company, describing its product in vague marketing-speak terms, showing off an absurd Batmobile instead of the expected prototype, placing all its IP in a separate company, etc.
Fun as in watching a demolition of a building or like Wile E. Coyote chase Road Runner through the desert.When you say "fun", do you mean it as in having fun participating in a hot chili pepper eating contest?
Even if FF got an immediate infusion of cash, it still doesn't add clarity into what they are doing. It almost seems the company is being groomed for failure by intent: its major investor also backing a doppelganger EV company, describing its product in vague marketing-speak terms, showing off an absurd Batmobile instead of the expected prototype, placing all its IP in a separate company, etc.
While I do want EV competition, so many things are going wrong with FF that one might as well sit back with popcorn and see how it all pans out. So far it's a comedy... or maybe a tragedy, I'm not quite sure yet.
BluestarE3
Active Member
Unfortunately, if FF does belly-up, it'll just provide the anti-EV/renewable energy crowd with another Solyndra, even if no public funds are involved. Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, they'll show something more tangible like Lucid just did. If it's another bait-and-switch as in the previous CES, they're done.
anticitizen13.7
Not posting at TMC after 9/17/2018
I guess their competitors at Atieva, now Lucid, may have the last laugh, though I wouldn't presume to name a victor just yet.
Focus seems to be an issue. Lucid is focused on bringing a great car to market, but Faraday seems distracted by the ties to the LeEco ecosystem.
Focus seems to be an issue. Lucid is focused on bringing a great car to market, but Faraday seems distracted by the ties to the LeEco ecosystem.
There's some goofy reporting here. They keep referring to "former Nissan factory". I had to look up where FF is based. It's based in Gardena, CA. I'm unaware of Nissan ever having a plant on the US West Coast. Their North American HQ used to be in Gardena (Nissan Workers Lament Move) before they moved to TN. This is probably what the article is talking about.
I've been confused about the relationship between LeEco and FF. They made a bunch of noise with LeEco’s push into the U.S. market (and other stuff earlier) yet a few weeks later, it was widely reported that LeEco was running out of cash:
LeEco has grown so fast it's running out of cash
Chinese Billionaire Cuts Salary to 15 Cents Amid Cash Crunch
I've been confused about the relationship between LeEco and FF. They made a bunch of noise with LeEco’s push into the U.S. market (and other stuff earlier) yet a few weeks later, it was widely reported that LeEco was running out of cash:
LeEco has grown so fast it's running out of cash
Chinese Billionaire Cuts Salary to 15 Cents Amid Cash Crunch
SuperDragon
Member
This is what happens when somebody assumes that all you need is a big chunk of cash and a willingness to poach talent for big bucks.
Starting a company, and especially a company like this, requires that the founder have a clear focus and passion for the task. There is a good reason that we haven't seen a new auto company in the better part of a century.
A big shot with a bit of glitz and glamour looking to add a notch to his ego belt won't cut it. He can hire a pile of people and they will happily spend all the money that he can provide. But they won't get anywhere.
Apple tried essentially the same thing, with a similar result. But they were smart enough to cut their losses when they realized what was happening.
Apple has been struggling lately. I'm not even sure who to blame for this latest Macbook Pro fiasco.
Depends what you mean by "struggling".
From Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results "Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2016 fourth quarter ended September 24, 2016. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $46.9 billion and quarterly net income of $9 billion," Yes, it's down year over year as iPhone and iPad revenues have been declining...
And, they have Apple's cash hoard swells to $237.6 billion, a record.
Mac revenue is a tiny part of their revenue and Apple is behaving like they don't care much about the Mac. Yes, I'm quite annoyed about the switch completely to USB-C on their expensive MacBook Pros and forcing everyone to be "professional" by needing to carry around a bunch of adapters.
By "struggling" I mean their public image and bad press. Backlash about the iphone headphone jack decision, backlash about the macbook pro memory limitations, lack of newest Intel chip, consumer reports article about macbook pro battery life issues. Tim Cook even had to reassure employees recently that their desktop line would continue. iPhone 7 was considered boring before launch and iPhone 7 plus cameras have started dying for certain users.
Financially they are still sitting pretty, of course. However they should really try to stay competitive as it's good for the entire industry.
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voyager
Active Member
All these Chinese startups have a couple of things in common:
1. Eagerness to gain acceptance by showcasing spectacular-looking concepts and revealing multi-billion dollar plans
2. Acceptance by establishing themselves in the cradle of new mobility ventures: in or around Silicon Valley (instead of China).
3. Poaching away engineers from companies like Tesla, they all want to cater to the hi-end of the EV market; barely having an idea how to do things differently in a much broader perspective that would really set them apart
4. Wishful venturing that doesn't take long for professionals to see right through it
On a much smaller scale, and completely going under the media's radar, is the way Chinese Helix Motors tried to conduct business recently without actually having the IP rights (to electrically actuated tilt mechanisms in three-wheelers).
1. Eagerness to gain acceptance by showcasing spectacular-looking concepts and revealing multi-billion dollar plans
2. Acceptance by establishing themselves in the cradle of new mobility ventures: in or around Silicon Valley (instead of China).
3. Poaching away engineers from companies like Tesla, they all want to cater to the hi-end of the EV market; barely having an idea how to do things differently in a much broader perspective that would really set them apart
4. Wishful venturing that doesn't take long for professionals to see right through it
On a much smaller scale, and completely going under the media's radar, is the way Chinese Helix Motors tried to conduct business recently without actually having the IP rights (to electrically actuated tilt mechanisms in three-wheelers).
These guys are a joke. Their registration site allows full on "gaming their number" - you can put in as many free registrations as you like. Now they are out on Twitter self-promoting 65,000 "reservations" in 36 hours. Go out to www.ff.com and jam them up with dozens of registrations per-email (fake or not) and it should allow you to fake-register similarly to the way Powerwall interest was taken back in April of 2015 where no unique-IP addresses were taken and it allowed/allows you to "click away" adding new reservations.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
http://jalopnik.com/faraday-futures-chinese-backer-forced-to-sell-land-in-c-1793367518
More "fun" at Faraday Future.
"However, the outlook remains unclear after Faraday said it was scaling back production plan at a factory it has yet to build in Nevada."
More "fun" at Faraday Future.
"However, the outlook remains unclear after Faraday said it was scaling back production plan at a factory it has yet to build in Nevada."
SuperDragon
Member
more bad press for ff
http://jalopnik.com/faraday-future-has-spent-160-million-moving-dirt-aroun-1793537075
http://jalopnik.com/faraday-future-has-spent-160-million-moving-dirt-aroun-1793537075
BluestarE3
Active Member
Even more "fun" at Faraday; this time, up in my neck of the woods:
Faraday Future pulls plug on Vallejo electric car factory
Faraday Future pulls plug on Vallejo electric car factory
hockeythug
Active Member
LeEco just had to pull out of their deal with Vizio as well. Appears they are bleeding cash in every direction.
BluestarE3
Active Member
And the hits keep on coming. This time, an electric bicycle maker is suing FF over their use of the word "Faraday" in their company name:
Faraday Bicycles suing electric vehicle startup Faraday Future over trademark
Faraday Bicycles suing electric vehicle startup Faraday Future over trademark
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