Automotive

Lucid Air's 517-mile range leaves Tesla in the rear view

Lucid Air's 517-mile range leaves Tesla in the rear view
The Lucid Air proves its worth with a 517-mile estimated range
The Lucid Air proves its worth with a 517-mile estimated range
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Lucid Air prototype; the production Air will be revealed in September
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Lucid Air prototype; the production Air will be revealed in September
The Lucid Air proves its worth with a 517-mile estimated range
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The Lucid Air proves its worth with a 517-mile estimated range
The Air will come in various trims and should pack up to 1,000 hp
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The Air will come in various trims and should pack up to 1,000 hp
Lucid says that it's made some improvements since showing its initial prototypes, helping the Air achieve more than 500 miles on a charge
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Lucid says that it's made some improvements since showing its initial prototypes, helping the Air achieve more than 500 miles on a charge
Plans call for a spacious interior and a 0.21 coefficient of drag
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Plans call for a spacious interior and a 0.21 coefficient of drag
Lucid prototype interior
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Lucid prototype interior
Inside the Lucid Air prototype
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Inside the Lucid Air prototype
Lucid will offer reclining VIP-style rear seats
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Lucid will offer reclining VIP-style rear seats
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It was just two months ago that the Tesla Model S officially broke through the 400-mile barrier, and if EV makers weren't gunning for it before (they were), they only started aiming harder after the news. Lucid Motors has put itself in position to leave the Model S lifeless on the side of the road, revealing today that its upcoming Air sedan has leapt far beyond its initial range estimates, surpassing the 500-mile (800-km) mark. Besides beating Tesla thoroughly, that's the type of range that could push the Air to become a major tipping point in the move from gas to electric vehicles.

We always take automaker range figures with a large grain of salt until the EPA and actual owners weigh in with fully vetted range figures, but Lucid Motors' 517-mile (832-km) achievement isn't merely a rosy guesstimate on a concept car spec list. It comes from testing performed by independent engineering firm FEV North America using the EPA's own multi-cycle test procedure. The Air is not in production yet, and that 517 is not an official EPA figure, but it would make the Air the longest-range production electric passenger car out there by a long shot.

Plans call for a spacious interior and a 0.21 coefficient of drag
Plans call for a spacious interior and a 0.21 coefficient of drag

"A few years ago, we revealed our alpha prototypes of the Lucid Air and promised over 400 miles range, a reflection of our technology at that time," says Lucid CEO/CTO Peter Rawlinson. "In the intervening period, we have achieved a series of technological breakthroughs, culminating in an unsurpassed degree of energy efficiency. I am therefore pleased that we have consequently achieved an estimated EPA 517 miles of range today whilst also significantly reducing our battery pack’s capacity, thereby reducing vehicle weight and cost and improving interior space."

Much of the work behind the improved range performance originated in Lucid's battery division Atieva, also the battery supplier of Formula E racing. Lucid also credits the Air's 900-V electrical architecture, compact powertrain, and drag coefficient of just 0.21 in helping blow away the initial 400-mile (644-km) estimate that still occupies the range line of the Air's online spec sheet.

Lucid prototype interior
Lucid prototype interior

Beyond a robust range, the Lucid Air promises to be an all-around performer. The prototype comes with a host of impressive specs, including 1,000 hp, a 2.5-second 0 to 60 mph (96.5 km/h) time and a 200+ mph (322+ km/h) top speed. The production car will offer an advanced "DreamDrive" Level 3-ready driver-assistance suite with a total of 32 sensors and 19 features.

Lucid's original 2020 New York International Auto Show Air debut got scratched, but it will hold an online premiere event on September 9, at which time it will reveal specifications, production interior and exterior designs, pricing and configurations. The first customer deliveries are slated for early 2021.

Source: Lucid Motors

View gallery - 8 images
16 comments
16 comments
Spud Murphy
Will believe it when they are producing them and independent testers can confirm these specs. Until then, it's still just vapourware.
vince
Hogwash. 517 miles on 130 kW battery is 3.97 and Tesla model S is 493 mikes on 100 kW which is 4.03. Tesla is more efficient. Time to go back school and learn some basic math.
Gizreader
@Vince. Tesla would be 4.93 then according to my maths 😉
Catweazle
So it can go nearly as far on a full battery as my old Mercedes coupe on a full tank of diesel. Mine takes two or three minutes to refill, how long does that take to recharge?
Robert Gladu
agreed they have to produce before they can claim a car that isnt being produced has that range, they need to produce, have no cars go up in flames etc
MDR
Yeah, right.
Last week it was Cadillac gonna kick Tesla's butt..
I'll wait until I see an Air on the road to believe.
Maybe the media should as well...
paul314
Because someone who can afford a 1,000-hp car is going to be desperately worried about range. They'll just have their assistants park additional cars wherever they think one might be useful. (Although I would be interested to see what the real number is. Electric-motor peak HP numbers tend to be 3-5x actual output.
moreover
That this prototype achieved a drag coefficient of 0.21 (the best competitors are .22 or .23) means they must have superb aerodynamics engineers who got their say throughout the design phases. Or they just taped up all panel gaps for testing (which has stunning effects on any vehicle).
Tommo
That looks almost identical to a Tesla Model S from the side..
freddotu
@Robert Gladu, have you compared fuel powered automobile fires to that of electric vehicle fires, per unit vehicle? I'm not suggesting overall figures, but fires per billion miles, a reference taken from money.cnn.com (https://money.cnn.com/2018/05/17/news/companies/electric-car-fire-risk/index.html). Electric vehicles are showing as five fires per billion miles traveled, ICE vehicles are fifty-five fires per billion miles.

Fuel powered vehicle fires are commonplace and barely noteworthy, yet EVs get "panic press" everytime there's a spark.
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