路透社報道，由中國人出資、旨在打入美國電動汽車市場的新創企業法拉第未來公司（Faraday Future）已經調整了位于內華達州工廠的建設規模，并將其計劃生產的車型數量由原來的7款減少為兩款。自2015年公開亮相以來，這家汽車制造商不斷遇到麻煩，就在前不久，公司的現金發生了問題，導致對供應商的欠款以及數位高管離職。

法拉第原本計劃投資13億美元，在內華達州建設一座27.9萬平方米的工廠，年產汽車15萬輛。目前有報道稱，公司對廠址所在地北拉斯維加斯市表示，將建設一座面積為6.04萬平方米的工廠。此外，有消息人士向路透社透露，工廠的年產能將不足1萬輛。

報道一出，法拉第即發表聲明，否認下調目標，還稱已經將建設計劃分為兩個階段，先期完工后將推出首款汽車FF91，并迅速開展營銷。

但消息人士說，法拉第已經做出了長期的戰略轉變。其中最值得注意的，是有消息說，法拉第的大部分汽車將主要在中國浙江省生產，公司計劃在那里建設一座產能為45萬輛的汽車工廠。

最讓關注法拉第的人感覺有趣的，是浙江的這座工廠還將生產樂視生態公司（LeEco）的LeSee豪華轎車。樂視生態的老板是法拉第的主要投資人、中國企業家賈躍亭，他與法拉第這家美國新創企業的關系不同尋常，有時不太和諧。據報道，他將設計LeSee的任務交給了法拉第的員工，卻未支付費用。賈躍亭把汽車轉到中國生產有可能進一步削弱法拉第的自主性。

倘若法拉第的工廠縮水，最失望的恐怕要屬內公華達州了。去年初，該州批準了給法拉第的2.159億美元稅收激勵，這是它吸引能源和交通投資的大戰略的一部分。要是法拉第達不到一定的投資門檻，這些激勵也就無法實施了。

對法拉第達成其目標的一個更加直接的威脅是，內華達州財政部長對路透社表示，法拉第并沒有兌現與內華達州的履約保函，因此該州也不會出資建設工廠周邊的基礎設施，其中應該包括公路之類的必需設施。這使得即便建廠計劃縮水，其可行性也成了問題。（財富中文網）

作者：David Z. Morris

譯者：Ms

Reuters reports that Faraday Future, the Chinese-backed startup gunning to enter the U.S. electric car market, has reduced the planned size of a Nevada factory, and will produce only two models instead of seven. The carmaker has faced repeated hurdles since its public debut in 2015, most recently including cash flow issues that left suppliers unpaid and may have contributed to several executive departures.

Instead of a planned $1.3 billion investment in a 3-million square foot Nevada factory that would produce 150,000 cars a year, Faraday Future has reportedly told the city of North Las Vegas that it will build a 650,000 square foot factory. According to sources speaking to Reuters, the facility could build fewer than 10,000 cars a year.

The company issued a statement following the report, denying that it was scaling back its ambitions. Instead, the company says it has divided its construction plans into two phases, with the initial phase aimed at earlier completion to bring its first vehicle, the FF91, to market more quickly.

But Reuters' sources outline other long-term strategic shifts. Most notably, production of most Faraday vehicles is now said to be centered in China’s Zhejiang province, where a plant with a 450,000 vehicle capacity is planned.

Most intriguingly for those who have followed the Faraday saga, that facility will also produce LeEco’s LeSee sedan. LeEco is owned by Faraday's main backer, Chinese entrepreneur Jia Yueting, with which the U.S. startup has had an unusual and sometimes troubled relationship. Jia reportedly tasked Faraday workers with designing the LeSee, without reimbursing Faraday for the work, and a shift to Chinese production could further erode Faraday’s autonomy.

Perhaps the most disappointed party if Faraday falls short would be the state of Nevada, which early last year approved $215.9 million in tax incentives for Faraday, as part of a larger state strategy to attract energy and transportation investment. Those incentives may be moot if Faraday doesn’t meet certain investment benchmarks.

In a more immediate threat to Faraday's goals, Nevada's state treasurer told Reuters that Faraday hasn’t delivered a performance bond required for the state to begin funding infrastructure development around the factory site. That presumably includes necessities like roads, threatening the viability of even the scaled-back factory plan.