Following the introduction of the immensely popular Tesla Model S, the Californian start-up has become the world’s leading EV maker, but there are other companies wanting a piece of the pie. One them is a small firm dubbed Atieva.
Also founded in California, the start-up has the intention of directly rival Tesla by introducing a selection of electric vehicles for consumers around the world. Atieva intends on launching a concept variant of its very first car at the Beijing Auto Show 2016 and can be differentiated from other automotive start-ups in that it has the financial backing of Beijing Electric Vehicle Company (BEVC), one of China’s largest automakers.
BEVC is part of the Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC) and will soon become the largest shareholder in Atieva. Beyond providing funds to the startup, BAIC will be pivotal in the future success of Atieva thanks to its expertise in electric vehicles, driven by its electric car technical centre in Silicon Valley.
No specific details about the first model from Atieva are known but a design sketch has been released online showing a potential rival to the Tesla Model S and with an even sleeker design. Beyond its partnership with BAIC, Atieva is working with Siemens, CECOMP (an Italian design and production firm) as well as battery cell manufacturer SK Group, from Korea.
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