Start-up electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Faraday Future plans to have a production car on to the road by 2020, reports Hybrid Cars, citing an interview with Nick Sampson, the company's senior vice-president of research and development (R&D), by technology news source The Verge. "We already have a test vehicle running, testing the electrical system, the battery, powertrain. We are well through the design process for production. We are already releasing data and information to start having parts made for real vehicles in the future," Sampson reportedly told The Verge. The company has a USD1-billion factory planned in the United States.
 

Significance: Faraday Future was founded in mid-2014, with reports on its activities increasing in mid-2015. Sampson believes that the 400-employee Californian start-up has an "even more creative" environment than US-based EV manufacturer Tesla. Sampson expects the number to double within the next year. While details of the vehicle are scant, the vehicle will be electric and, according to Sampson, autonomous. Media reports have stated that the company has hired executives from Tesla, Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. These include Richard Kim, who led design on the BMW i8 and i3; Pontus Fontaeus, a designer for Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Land Rover; and Silva Hiti, formerly head of powertrain for the Chevrolet Volt.