Photo: Atieva via Recode
With all the electric startups showing up lately, you might have a little trouble remembering what was Atieva all about. Well, if we're honest, there are just two things you should know about it.
The first is that the most of the technical part involving the powertrain has been supervised by former Tesla Model S chief engineer, Peter Rawlinson. That means that Atieva doesn't have to start from scratch, but can benefit from the experience of somebody who's worked on arguably the best electric vehicle out there at the moment.
The second is very much connected to the first and has that powertrain we mentioned earlier at its core. You might not realize it now, but you've seen it at work before. Granted, it was very well hidden under the body of a Mercedes-Benz Vito van, but we're pretty sure you haven't forgotten what it did to a host of sports cars and supercars, including a Ferrari California and even a Tesla Model S.
So we know that Atieva's vehicle is going to go fast, what we didn't know was what it would look like. Reports have been suggesting that the company would go for a sedan body style, but other than that, we were in the dark. Recode now claims it has gained access to some information regarding the car, including a black and white side image showing its design.
It's still early to say, but the lines do look consistent with the teaser released earlier (this really dark image with white lines). At first glance, we like what we see. The Atvus (the claimed name for the Sedan) has that retro-futuristic look that some people (including ourselves) find attractive, reminding us a little of GM's EV-1, but not more than it should. The lack of a door handle gives the EV a stylish look, but it does seem a little porky, perhaps due to the almost shooting brake-like rear.
The Atvus - or whatever its name will be - is scheduled for a reveal later this year, and if you look at the calendar, you'll see it doesn't have that much time left. The company plans a commercial release for 2018, which is ambitious, but not impossible, given the heavy funding the company receives from its Chinese owners. It will be interesting to see what price Atieva will set for the Atvus, but given it's meant as a Model S competitor, it'll likely be in the region of Tesla's higher-spec versions.
The second is very much connected to the first and has that powertrain we mentioned earlier at its core. You might not realize it now, but you've seen it at work before. Granted, it was very well hidden under the body of a Mercedes-Benz Vito van, but we're pretty sure you haven't forgotten what it did to a host of sports cars and supercars, including a Ferrari California and even a Tesla Model S.
So we know that Atieva's vehicle is going to go fast, what we didn't know was what it would look like. Reports have been suggesting that the company would go for a sedan body style, but other than that, we were in the dark. Recode now claims it has gained access to some information regarding the car, including a black and white side image showing its design.
It's still early to say, but the lines do look consistent with the teaser released earlier (this really dark image with white lines). At first glance, we like what we see. The Atvus (the claimed name for the Sedan) has that retro-futuristic look that some people (including ourselves) find attractive, reminding us a little of GM's EV-1, but not more than it should. The lack of a door handle gives the EV a stylish look, but it does seem a little porky, perhaps due to the almost shooting brake-like rear.
The Atvus - or whatever its name will be - is scheduled for a reveal later this year, and if you look at the calendar, you'll see it doesn't have that much time left. The company plans a commercial release for 2018, which is ambitious, but not impossible, given the heavy funding the company receives from its Chinese owners. It will be interesting to see what price Atieva will set for the Atvus, but given it's meant as a Model S competitor, it'll likely be in the region of Tesla's higher-spec versions.
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