Faraday Future, the electric car start-up that has pitched itself as a top challenger to Tesla, is set to miss its shipping deadline for its first vehicle, amid production delays and financing questions surrounding its main backer in China.
Problems at Faraday could add to a growing backlash against the recent wave of Chinese investment in the US and Europe. Last week, a congressional panel recommended that Chinese state-owned companies be barred from acquisitions in the US.
California-based Faraday was launched at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, with the glitzy unveiling of a Batmobile-style concept car, dubbed FFZero1. After breaking ground on a $1bn production facility in Nevada in April, Faraday promised to reveal its first production car at the next CES in early 2017.