Atieva...

Tesla…the dominant player in the electric car market by a mile. Yet, there are some newcomers emerging. Take for example, Atieva, a startup based in Silicon Valley that plans to even the playing field.

Atieva is focusing on creating a mass-production electric car that can be accessed by all types of people. The company was founded in 2007 by an ex-Tesla VP. In addition to the Tesla blood, the company has received $131 million in fundraising according to Crunchbase and its majority shareholder is BAIC-the state run car manufacturer of China. These guys will definitely target the masses with the help of a prominent Chinese car manufacturer that has worked on collaborations with Mercedes, Jeep, and Hyundai to produce some of the most ubiquitous cars on the road.

Atieva claims that it will infuse California-inspired styling with the best autonomous safety features to create an environmentally pleasing affordable electric car. They also want to become the standard for both the technological and design aspects of the electric car industry. Tesla, they’re calling you out!

Rumors also claim that the car will come with a 20 kw and a range of 300 miles. Performance wise, Atieva’s cars are dwarfed by the gigantic, performance crazy 90 kw batteries that Tesla uses.

Oh, by the way, there are little to no pictures of the prototype. There was one floating around of an electric Corvette while I have my own hypothesis regarding the design. I think that because they are working with the BAIC, their first car will have the same layout as the BAIC cars, yet be fully electric. That way, they will be able to hit the ground running in terms of sales and spread the word of Atieva.

The prototype is supposed to be revealed during the Beijing Auto Show next week. I can’t wait to see this disruptor show off its work; after all, this might pose a great threat to Tesla. That’s all for this week and I will see you guys later!