It's like moving the TV to the front of the car, what's the use of that?

【PCauto】 The unveiling of Faraday Future's (FF) Super EAI F.A.C.E. system raises a fundamental question: is this expansive LED panel dominating the car's front fascia truly practical?

According to FF, the Super EAI F.A.C.E. is more than a mere display; it's an interactive interface supporting voice, gesture, and touch input, designed to facilitate communication with users outside the vehicle. It can even express emotions through Avatar expressions, bridging the gap between humans and machines.

Content displayed can also be customised via a mobile app, ranging from artwork and logos to video streams. The goal is to completely replace the traditional, monotonous front grille, aiming for "a unique face for every car."

While it certainly sounds innovative, the issue lies in the fact that novelty and practical value are often not synonymous.

In practice, when approaching their vehicle, most users are concerned with three straightforward matters: verifying ownership, gaining seamless access, and ensuring immediate drive-away readiness.

This fundamental process typically requires neither interaction, conversation, nor an emotionally expressive display on the front fascia.

In contrast, standing in front of a car and conversing with an LED screen while waiting for the system to recognise and respond feels more like a forced interaction ritual imposed by technology.

FF emphasises that the Super EAI F.A.C.E. enables users to communicate with the vehicle prior to entry, confirm its status, request access, and obtain guidance.

The reality is that these functionalities have long been reliably and efficiently addressed through conventional means: physical keys, dedicated mobile applications, or intuitive light signals.

Relocating these functions to the front of the car and repackaging them with a more complex AI system does not necessarily translate to a better experience; in many cases, it merely makes the proposition more costly.

More intriguing is FF's attempt to imbue the car with personality through avatars, character recognition, and large language models.

The system is designed to differentiate between the owner, family members, visitors, and strangers, delivering tailored responses. It can even initiate greetings proactively as someone approaches.

From a technical standpoint, this is certainly complex. However, from a user's perspective, the experience of being 'observed' and responded to by the car may feel friendly to some, while others might find it somewhat redundant.

This sense of dissonance becomes even more pronounced when such features are integrated into a mass-market MPV like the FX Super One.

What MPV users prioritise has always been space, comfort, reliability, and running costs. Whether deployed for family transport or business use, the core need is for a vehicle that simplifies rather than complicates. A device that frequently ‘expresses’ itself in car parks or ‘showcases’ its personality to passersby runs counter to this principle.

A more pragmatic concern is that such a high-specification, high-computation, and high-display-cost system inevitably comes at a premium.

Even if offered as an optional extra, the associated costs will inevitably be borne by the consumer through a higher price tag, or necessitate compromises elsewhere in the vehicle's specification.

For an automaker that still repeatedly emphasises mass production, delivery, and profitability, betting significant resources on a large front-facing screen seems more like a concept-driven approach rather than a demand-driven one.

Ultimately, the Super EAI F.A.C.E. is not without merit. It undeniably showcases a novel avenue for external vehicle interaction and possesses undeniable visual impact.

However, at this stage, it resembles more of a storytelling tool, a conversation piece, and a symbol to proclaim "we are still innovating," rather than a functional module that genuinely addresses driving-related issues.

Thus, one might ask: is this not, in essence, affixing a television set to the front of an automobile? What genuine, user-centric problem does it solve?