As part of Milan Design Week BYTON will be showcasing the BYTON Concept for the first time in Europe in a creative experiential environment covering around 600 m2 (approx. 6,500 sq ft). From April 17 to 22 visitors to the heart of Milan will experience the sight of the premium electric car that will go into mass production from 2019. It is designed to impress in form and function both on the outside and on the inside.
“We’re living in a time of transformation. Mobility is changing considerably thanks to new connectivity and autonomous driving technology. Through this, we can enable our customers to make much better use of their time in a car”, explained BYTON CEO and co-founder Carsten Breitfeld. “This brings a new freedom to the car – something that can only be truly experienced if the vehicle and above all its cabin are designed with this in mind. This is what we are doing at BYTON to meet our customers’ needs in the best way possible”.
BYTON is anticipating the needs of the digital generation with a range of high-tech elements that are always stylish. Visitors to the BYTON exhibit in Milan can experience at multiple points just how this looks, feels, and can be used – something that will quite literally appeal to all the senses.
The vehicle that will be showcased in an art gallery also gives an idea of how the cabin of the production model can be personalized. BYTON will show the wealth of options available using exhibits with different colour and material combinations. These configurations can also be simulated in the online visualizer or in the BYTON augmented reality app on the smartphone.
Intelligent Car Experience in an interactive exhibition area
In another interactive exhibition area, the BYTON team will be presenting its Intelligent Car Experience. This looks at how the driver and passengers interact with the vehicle and the outside world via a range of social networks, services, and entertainment offerings. Innovative interfaces such as using gesture control or facial recognition will be explained here in various exhibits as will the BYTON Life platform, which adapts intelligently to user behaviour, learns from it, and in doing so provides personalized content and assistance functions. Four BYTON Life features on display in Milan features include my HEALTH, my COMMUNICATION, my ENTERTAINMENT and my ACTIVITIES. Built-in hardware synchronizes with user’s other devices, enabling BYTON to track the user’s health status, including weight, heart rate, blood pressure; and synchronize user’s data to give fitness advice.
Brand stores as new forms of experience spaces
At the same time, the BYTON brand store concept will be making its global début. These stores will start opening from the end of 2018 onwards as new brand experience spaces in major cities in China, the US, and Europe.
“Design Week turns the whole of Milan into an international stage and source of inspiration for an entire week. It’s all about spaces in which people feel comfortable, a communicative atmosphere, and a positive lifestyle – this fits perfectly with our ethos and values. BYTON isn’t just about transforming mobility; it’s also about redefining the time we spend together – even in the car. Ultimately, for us, it’s always about offering an enjoyable time and real advantages in the process. And not just in the vehicle, but also at our brand stores which we will be opening in major cities around the world. These will not only offer information on our vehicles, but also a chance for our visitors to also experience a variety of theme-based environments where BYTON is at home – including digital connectivity and autonomous driving”, said Daniel Kirchert, President and Co-Founder at BYTON in conclusion.
The Salone del Mobile and accompanying Milan Design Week attract around 300,000 visitors each year. BYTON will be presenting the BYTON Concept for the first time in Europe in the Brera Design District at the gallery Casa d’Aste Blindarte, Via Palermo 11. Following a presentation for the media and guests on April 17, the BYTON exhibit will be open for all to see from April 18 to 22.
About BYTON Concept
The new SUV will be manufactured at BYTON’s plant in Nanjing, China. Its price will start at USD $45,000. The car will be available in China towards the end of 2019, and in the U.S. and Europe in 2020.
Key features include:
- Shared lounge experience for in-car communication, entertainment and work, with content and connection driven by the BYTON Life cloud platform
- A single 125 x 25 cm (49 x 9.8 inch) Shared Experience Display center console, along with three additional display screen
- Unique human-vehicle interaction incorporating voice recognition, touch control, biometric identification and hand gesture control technology
- Incorporation of Amazon Alexa for intelligent voice control, with additional Amazon collaboration on audio and video content
- Maximum range of 520 km (323 miles) on a single charge
Interior design is the ultimate lounge experience
- The new SUV leverages Electric Vehicle architecture to maximize space. A flat floor and absence of a center console convey openness to all cabin occupants. Individually adjustable seats provide sofa-like comfort and luxury akin to a premium lounge
- BYTON is equipped with multiple screens including a Shared Experience Display replacing the central console in traditional cars. Driver Tablet and two display screens on the rear-seat entertainment system integrate other content and features as part of the lounge
- The most eye-catching feature is the Shared Experience Display: Its 125 x 25 cm (49 x 9.8 in) screen automatically adjusts brightness according to changes in light, with a unique horizontal layout enabling content shown to be shared with other passengers in the car
- Additional features include a wooden floor, leather seats and interior color matching. Front seats can rotate 12 degrees inwards, creating a shared space where occupants can interact with each other and the Shared Experience Display, even from the rear seats
Gracie Opulanza admiring Byton
Exterior design is all about digital horsepower
- BYTON Concept is a mid-size premium smart electric SUV, measuring 4,850 mm (15.9 ft), with a wheelbase of 2,945mm (9.6 ft) and a wheel size of 22 inches. Its exterior design reflects the SUV’s robust style and distinctive proportions, with a loping roof line and green house tapering for optimized aerodynamics
- BYTON Concept leverages Smart Surfaces beginning with the front grill. LED lights throughout the front highlight the luminescent logo in the middle, along with connecting lines and dots that can switch to different display modes to suit different driving scenarios as well as communicate with users and pedestrians. The rear of the car also adapts the Smart Surfaces design
- Three facial recognition cameras are embedded in the B-pillar on both sides of the car. Side-view cameras replace traditional side mirrors. BYTON Concept also includes an invisible door handle and perfectly integrated antennas
Unique human-vehicle interaction
- As a next generation smart device, BYTON creates new and convenient human-vehicle interactions.
- BYTON Intuitive Access: a different method of unlocking the car. Face recognition cameras recognize the driver or passenger to unlock the door. BYTON also recognizes driver and passenger information to auto-adjust seat angles, entertainment preferences and other information according to user preferences and usage
- User profiles auto-enabled for every BYTON. No matter which BYTON the driver sits in, his or her profile can be downloaded from the cloud to the car, making the customer feel as if every BYTON is his/her own car
- BYTON Air Touch for advanced gesture control. This feature allows for display control via easy hand gestures at any position within the car. For example, users can caption a location with a grabbing motion in the air, and then put it into the maps function in the middle of the display to start the navigation
- The Driver Tablet allows the driver to control the Shared Experience Display, navigation, seat adjustment and other functions. The sides of the tablet integrate few physical buttons in the car such as the volume control or buttons for changing driving modes. In collaboration with Amazon, BYTON has also integrated Alexa Voice into its in-car voice control system
BYTON Life cloud platform: personalized, seamless, connected life
BYTON Concept is designed to make technology benefit life, providing enjoyable time for people on the move. BYTON Life is the core of that experience. It is an open digital cloud platform that connects applications, data and smart devices. When integrated with innovative human-vehicle interaction, it takes the intelligent experience inside vehicle to a whole new level.
- Four BYTON Life features on display at the European premiere in Milan include my HEALTH, my COMMUNICATION, my ENTERTAINMENT and my ACTIVITIES. Built-in hardware synchronizes with user’s other devices, enabling BYTON to track the user’s health status, including weight, heart rate, blood pressure; and synchronize user’s data to give fitness advice
- BYTON Concept supports video and telephone conference capability, enabling users to work productively while commuting or connect with family and friends
- Seamless switch from the outside to inside the car. BYTON Life enables music, video and other content played on one’s smartphone to continue to play in the car displays, from the time when the user has just entered the vehicle
- Advanced AI and machine learning capabilities analyze a user’s calendar, locations, hobbies and application data to provide customized advice on what to do next, making BYTON smarter with every interaction
- BYTON’s interconnected hardware prepares for 5G communications. The hidden antenna on the roof allows data transfer rates up to 10 Gbit/second which is hundreds of times the normal average bandwidth
- Data security built into all features and services. BYTON has established a dedicated independent Security Lab to ensure data security whether connected to the cloud or within the vehicle. BYTON Smart Gateway with machine learning ability is an additional core technology, enabling BYTON to track the security status of the vehicle in real time, detect potential failures and threats and take auto-countermeasures
Other information: battery charge, power options and future products
- BYTON’s production car will have two range options for endurance: a rear-wheel drive model with a 71 kwh battery pack and a driving range of 400 km, or a four-wheel-drive model with a 95 kwh battery pack and driving range up to 520 km (323 miles)
- In fast charge mode, 80% of the battery is recharged in just 30 minutes
- BYTON to include two power options: 200kW (400NM torque) single motor rear-wheel-drive model and 350kW (710NM torque) dual motors four-wheel model
- BYTON has adopted an all-new platform specifically designed for electric vehicles. In addition to the first SUV model launched in 2019, BYTON will produce its sedan and multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) on the same platform
