Faraday Future Review: Matt Vergin
Sarasota, FL, January 5, 2017 — With the amount of technology packed inside Faraday Future’s FF91 electric car it’s no wonder they decided to reveal it at CES in Las Vegas. Facial recognition used for entry and seat position, artificial intelligence smart enough to automatically adjust the car’s driving style and music depending on a user’s mood, animated exterior LED’s… these are all meant to signal to the world that this car company, born in the age of the smart phone, is something different. However, without a believable and charismatic figurehead like Elon Musk or James Dyson (and with numerous financial woes), I worry that they will not be able to secure the money needed to make this car a reality. And that’s a shame because overall the FF91 is a bold, striking vehicle. I find the proportions pleasing and unique. The large wheels, raked roofline and dramatic surfacing seem to be borrowed straight from a sports car (I’m looking at you BMW i8), while the short hood and long rear overhang recall a family-hauling mini-van. But what I found most interesting was the branding. Eschewing a traditional badge, Faraday has decided instead to integrate their clever “FF” logo directly into the perforation pattern on the front of the car well as the jewel forms within the rear tail lights, both back lit to make sure the logo is visible day and night. I’ve never seen a company make branding such an integral part of the exterior design of a production car and I give Faraday props for having the guts to do that. All told, the FF91 presents a remarkable vision for the future of automotive design and technology. Let’s hope that the leadership creating this car has the ability to follow through with it!
About Matt
Matthew Vergin Graduated from College for Creative Studies in 2009 with a degree in product design. He worked for 4 years at Electrolux Major Appliances before moving to ROBRADY in 2014. At ROBRADY he has designed many different award winning products from geothermal heat exchangers to baseball bats.
Faraday Future Review: Erik Holmen
After the release of their wild FFZER01 concept car, I have been intrigued to see how Faraday Future’s design language would translate to a two box Tesla-fighting production car. To my eyes the FF91 does not disappoint. The sleek proportions and surfacing are bold and confident with details bridging the gap between production and concept car. The floating D-pillar is a great example of a feature too aggressive for any car brand beyond the BMW i8. The front wrap-around lights might look a little retro-futuristic to some eyes but overall the front end proclaims its electric drive. But it is a shame that this product is unlikely to hit the road given Faraday Future’s current rocky situation. I would take it any day over the fastest Model X. With all the technology and styling goodies, my first reaction was “How much would this thing cost?” - a little digging points to $180,000…which looks about right to my eyes.
About Erik
Erik Holmen is a graduate of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit with a focus in transportation design. He has been at ROBRADY since 2003 having worked on hundreds of transportation, medical and industrial products with many design awards.