Faraday Future FF 91 Adds a $309,000 Launch Edition

• Faraday Future has revealed the FF 91 2.0 Futurist Alliance, which it says will begin reaching customers this summer.
• The startup asks a $5000 deposit against the total price of $309,000 plus an as yet unnamed destination charge.
• There are also two other models coming: the Futurist model for about $250,000 and the not-yet-priced FF 91 2.0.

The Faraday Future FF 91 has existed in theory longer than some of our younger editors have been members of the working world. And what a trip it’s been since CES 2017, when the company first unveiled its production-intent design. Of course, the production part of that process has proved quite tricky for the EV startup, but deliveries will allegedly begin this year, and there’s a fancy new FF 91 trim to celebrate the occasion.

Faraday Future this week announced the FF 91 2.0 Futurist Alliance. Limited to just 300 units globally, the Futurist Alliance costs a meaty $309,000 (not counting the typical, yet unmentioned destination fee), starting with a $5000 deposit. The exclusivity extends beyond just the trim name, with three specific paint options, a new set of wheels, and something the company calls “one-on-one bespoke private AI and special tuning.” What doesn’t require buzzword-parsing skills, though, are the Apple Watch and personalized driver training that also come with this lofty price tag.

If that’s too rich for your blood, there’s always the $249,000 Futurist model, which only requires a $1500 deposit. The base model, FF 91 2.0, carries a yet-unknown price but the deposit is only $1000.

381 Miles of Range

If you’re worried about spending house money on a six-year-old car, worry not—its innards are newer than that. In fact, that’s where the “2.0” comes from; it’s a reference to the fact that the FF 91 has undergone significant revisions since its initial CES debut. A 142.0-kWh battery resides under the floor, powering three motors (two rear, one front) to the tune of a net 1050 horsepower, which is enough for a manufacturer-estimated 2.3-second sprint to 60 mph. This battery is no range slouch, either, with an EPA-estimated 381 miles of range.

With EPA figures and post-crash-test approval, the FF 91 seems about as real as a car can get. However, according to the company’s press release, the early delivery process will be a bit dense. It starts with “co-creation delivery for the first industry expert Futurist Product Officers (FPOs).” This is a registration-based spot that, according to FF’s website, grants access to “exclusive experiences with FF products, provide feedbacks [sic], generate creative ideas, and see your ideas turn into reality.” So, if you want the earliest crack possible at the FF 91, not only do you have to pony up six figures of simoleons, it sounds like you also have to give them free ideas to implement in future cars.

That’s only the first stage of the delivery process. It’s unclear if the FPOs will actually receive their cars at the planned “co-creation event”—which is not actually on May 31 but instead on June 6—but rather just receive training on the vehicle’s myriad systems, because FF goes on to say that these folks will “take possession of the reserved FF 91 vehicle at the beginning of the second phase of delivery.” The third phase is mentioned nowhere in the release, with the exception of the paragraph confirming a tripartite process.

Buckle up. It’s looking like Faraday Future’s Wild Ride still has plenty more track left to travel.