By: Tycho de Feijter for 6th Gear Automotive Solutions.
Beijing, April 2018
Chinese media report that the production version of the Byton Concept will feature Level 3 autonomous driving when it launches in the second half of 2019.
Byton’s Level 3 advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) includes automatic emergency braking (AEB), and lane-change assist. In 2020 the company plans to update its technology to Level 4 autonomous driving.
Byton was founded in 2017 in Nanjing, China. The company operates R&D centres in Munich, Germany, and Santa Clara, California. The name BYTON derives from the phrase “Bytes on Wheels”.
Their first car will be a near-five meter long sporty SUV crossover, priced around ¥300,000 or $48,000. Initially, it will only be marketed in China but Byton has plans for export to Europe and the United States in the future.
Byton will offer various versions of the SUV; the highest specification will offer 476 hp,710 Nm, a 95 kWh battery, and a 520 kilometre range.
Byton has teamed up with Bosh for powertrain and braking systems, with Aurora for autonomous-driving technology, and with Faurecia for advanced-interior technologies.