Byton And Karma Close Shop

The Corona crisis has put an end to two already faltering electric car manufacturers. Byton, known for its large display as the dashboard, has laid off almost all of its employees worldwide, with only a skeleton team of managers expected to raise funds and revive the company over the next six months. So the hope. Karma, on the other hand, which emerged from the fiscal bankruptcy, had already struggled with difficulties before and has now filed for chapter 11 protection in the USA.

For the electric car scene, this is a clear damper, especially because Byton in particular was able to present very interesting and innovative concepts. It is a reminder of how difficult it is to start up a new automotive company, and what an accomplishment Tesla can show, which is now the most valuable automotive company in the world. A few other promising electric car companies remain, including Lucid Motors, which plans to launch its Lucid Air by the end of the year, or Nio.

Here are a few reminiscences from days gone by:

This article was also published in German.