March 29 (Reuters) – Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc (FFIE.O) said on Wednesday it has started production of its much-delayed first luxury electric car, FF 91 Futurist, at its California factory.

Last November, the Los Angeles-based electric vehicle company had raised doubts about its ability to continue as a « going concern » and the delivery timeline for FF 91, shortly after it underwent a board reshuffle following a governance dispute with its largest shareholder.

Delivery of the sports utility vehicle was originally slated to start in late-2022.

« This shows that FF has entered a new phase under the governance and operation of the new board and management, » founder YT Jia said in a statement.

The FF 91 Futurist is expected to be offered in both the U.S. and China markets, with initial 2023 sales to begin in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Shanghai and Beijing, the company said, but did not comment on the delivery timeline or details on initial sales.

The company has said the latest generation of its car had longer range and better acceleration than rivals such as Tesla Inc’s (TSLA.O) Model X, Mercedes Benz (MBGn.DE) Maybach S and Rolls Royce Cullinan.

Reporting by Yana Gaur and Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips

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