TECH INSIDER | BYTON M-BYTE
For emerging Chinese OEM Byton, actions speak
louder than words. Pre-production of the M-Byte
electric SUV has started in Nanjing in October 2019,
earmarked for launches in China, Europe and North
America within 12 months. Just over three years previously
the company didn’t exist.
“This is happening very, very fast,” the company’s chief
technical officer, David Twohig describes. “The time between
putting the first piece of steel in the ground in Nanjing and
building the first production tooled bodies was 325 days. If
you told me we were going to do that two years beforehand,
I would not have believed you myself.”
Twohig joined the company in March 2018 following
a notable career within the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi
Alliance, with responsibility for projects including the first
Nissan Qashqai, Renault Zoe and Alpine A110 sports car.
Byton’s headcount has expanded more than five-fold since,
now comprising 1,600 employees with sites in California,
Germany and China.
Most of the foundations were already in place. The
M-Byte is based on Byton’s own Smart EV platform, which
will also underpin a forthcoming sedan and MPV. Its battery
pack is beneath the cabin, providing a flat floor with motors
at one or both axles, while the aerodynamic body features
the same closed front end and retracting door handles from
the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show concept car.
The battery pack is its backbone, claims Twohig, and
was designed in-house to meet the project’s ride, handling
www.electrichybridvehicletechnology.com
// January 2020 // 09
VITAL
STATISTICS
Motors: 200kW/272hp (rear), 150kW/204hp
(front, optional) with single-speed transmission
Peak power: 200kW/272hp (RWD), 300kW/408hp (AWD)
Battery: Liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 72kWh/95kWh capacity
Charging: 7kW (China) or 11kW AC (North America and
Europe) with 22kW optional. 150kW DC (GBT/CCS)
Range (WLTP): 360km/224 miles (72kWh RWD),
435km/270 miles (95kWh AWD), 460km/286 miles
(95kWh RWD)
Body: Steel/aluminum composite
Weight: 2,315-2,600kg (5,104-
5,732lbs)
/www.electrichybridvehicletechnology.com