Byton M-Byte History

The M-Byte was publicly unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on 7 January 2018 as Byton's lead product. The mid-size SUV measured 4,875 mm long on a 2,950 mm wheelbase and was positioned as a direct challenger to the Tesla Model X in both technology and price — with a target starting price of approximately US$45,000.

Its defining feature was a 4K curved 48-inch infotainment display stretching the full width of the dashboard, paired with a 7-inch steering-wheel-mounted touchscreen and gesture controls. Two powertrain options were planned: a rear-wheel-drive 200 kW (268 hp) motor and an all-wheel-drive 300 kW (402 hp) twin-motor setup, both paired with CATL LiFePO4 battery packs of 72 or 95 kWh offering up to 323 miles (520 km) of range. DC fast-charging was rated at 120 kW.

Mass production in Byton's Nanjing factory was originally targeted for late 2019, but financial difficulties and leadership turbulence — co-founder Carsten Breitfeld departed in April 2019 — caused repeated delays. Byton suspended all operations in June 2020 for a planned six-month reorganization, announced a Foxconn manufacturing partnership in January 2021, but that arrangement was halted in September 2021. The M-Byte never entered serial production; no vehicles were sold to the public.