Byton M-Byte will be offered in two battery configurations initially as the range-topper will have a driving range of around 386 km on WLTP cycle
Byton, the Chinese EV startup, was founded just three years ago by executives from Nissan and BMW and it showcased its first design study in early 2018. Currently at its Nanjing HQ in China, its working prototypes are being built as the company eyes to launch the M-Byte towards the end of this year at the People’s Republic and its reach will be expanded to the United States and Europe next year.
The pre-production examples of the M-Byte have begun rolling out of the assembly lines and Car News China has posted images of the pictures from the factory. These prototypes are manufactured as part of the final testing procedures and they will be used for registration and certification processes. Additionally, they will help in fine tuning the final production model before reaching customers.
The deliveries of the M-Byte electric SUV will commence later this calendar year in China and its launch plans in foreign markets could be postponed due to the global pandemic situation threatening everyday lives and economies. Byton will offer two variants of the M-Byte, at least initially. Both will have different performance and battery configurations.
The base M-Byte will boast a single-motor setup and is paired with a 72 kWh battery pack enabling maximum power output of around 270 horsepower. The electric motor drives only the rear wheels. Byton will also sell a bigger two-motor system couple with a 95 kWh battery. They will work in tandem to generate around 400 horsepower. With four-wheel-drive layout, it will be more expensive than the former.
The all-important driving range for the single-motor Byton M-Byte stands at around 320 km while the 4WD version will be claimed capable of around 386 km on a single charge in the WLTP cycle. For the convenience of the customers, a 150 kW DC fast charger will also be provided. Just as any modern Chinese electric SUVs, the M-Byte has a tech-ladden interior.
It features a massive 48-inch curved display for infotainment and instrumentation and is the largest in any production vehicle in the world. When the concept broke covers at the 2018 CES in Las Vegas, Byton said the production version would cost around USD 45,000 and its launch will be followed by a road-going version of the K-Byte sedan concept bound for next year.