As the electric car start-up Byton positioned: “A smart device on wheels – that’s the new”

04/23/2018

How the electric car start-up Byton positions itself “A smart device on wheels – that’s the new one”

The first electric SUV prototype from Byton: The production model should be almost identical, it says at the start-up

From the end of 2019, the Chinese start-up Byton wants to drive the German luxury brands Mercedes, BMW and Audi into the parade with an electric SUV – first in China, then in the US and Europe. Byton boss Carsten Breitfeld explains why he holds nothing of acceleration records, what his business model looks like – and how he wants to avoid the production problems of his competitor Tesla.

Milan design fair instead of auto salon, a gallery in the backyard instead of brightly lit turntable: For the European premiere of its electric SUV prototype, the Chinese start-up Byton has specifically selected an unconventional place. By the end of 2019, the first Byton model will be launched in China. The car will then be available in the USA in early 2020, and in Europe by the end of 2020.

The company, whose name is derived from “Bytes on Wheels”, is led by car drivers with a lot of experience: Byton CEO Carsten Breitfeld worked for BMW for more than 20 years and most recently headed the development of the hybrid sports car i8. He has been building Byton since March 2016. The start-up currently has around 600 employees, and by the end of the year it will be 1400 at the six company locations in China, Munich and Silicon Valley. Breitfeld has brought along some of his fellow BMW drivers, including former Tesla and Google employees on the management team. In Milan, the 54-year-old Breitfeld dressed casually in jeans, a white shirt and a sporty cardigan. But his plans are as ambitious as they are self-confident.

Byton

Byton boss Carsten Breitfeld

manager-magazin.de: Mr. Breitfeld, the first Byton model is to offer the base price of 45,000 dollars a range of about 400 kilometers and 300 hp. Compared to the planned electric vehicles from Daimler, Porsche or VW, but also Chinese electric car start-ups that is rather modest. Why are they so reluctant to start?

Carsten Breitfeld: We do not see the electric drive as a big differentiator. We will provide a good performance with appropriate torque. Our acceleration will be good, but not outstanding. The question is whether you want to build a brand around driving behavior and acceleration. There are already BMW, which focus on it and promise to enjoy driving or Audi, posit the Vorsprung durch Technik. We will offer a car that has a great design and the same quality as the German premium brands. But our brand should focus on the user experience we offer our customers. Our car will be a smart device with a giant screen, With intuitive operation, High-speed connectivity, spacious and variable interior. That’s really new.

mm.de: Classic car manufacturers sell their cars through car dealerships, the electric car manufacturer Tesla relies on its own stores in inner cities. Is Byton taking a middle ground – or a very own one?

Breitfeld: We will sell our cars directly as manufacturers, ie without dealers. If we were to go through trade organizations, our approach would not be to sell a smart device on wheels. Part of our business model is to sell the customer a device on wheels. This device is a platform for us to sell additional services, services and digital services to our customers. For example, customers will download apps from outside, and as the operator of the platform, we want to earn money like an app store. This is only possible if we have direct business relationships with customers and not the detour via dealers.

mm.de: That means, like Tesla, they will build their own brand stores?

Breitfeld: There will be different channels. Through our website, customers will be able to fully configure and order their car. We will also use mobile sales agents who come to the customers home. Our teams will bring virtual reality glasses. This allows them to completely configure, experience and order the car. In addition, we will also have our own brand stores. The first Byton store will open in the center of Shanghai at the end of 2018.

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