Lucid Air

The Lucid Air is an electric car that was unveiled in December 2016 by Lucid Motors. It has been designed to compete with existing brands in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, in particular Tesla, Inc. as well as other brands in the luxury car segment, including Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.[1] The Lucid Air will be unveiled on Sept. 9, 2020.[2]

Lucid Air
Overview
ManufacturerLucid Motors
Production2020
AssemblyCasa Grande, Arizona
DesignerDerek Jenkins
Body and chassis
ClassExecutive car
Body style4-door sedan
Powertrain
EngineFront and rear motor producing up to 1000hp
Transmission1 speed fixed gear
Battery75kWH, 100kWh or 130kWh lithium ion battery
Dimensions
Length195.5 inches

Design

Lucid Air has been designed to compete in the luxury sports segment primarily against the Tesla Model S as well as high-line models from German rivals. Dynamically, the goal is to match the ability of sport coupés.[3] It has a greater interior space, with a smaller external footprint, spanning 195.5 inches.[4]

Powertrain

Lucid Motors will use lithium ion battery cells sourced from Samsung SDI as the Air's primary powertrain. This follows a partnership deal between the two companies, which took place on 2 December 2016.[5][6] The base Lucid Air will be equipped with a 75kWh battery with rear wheel drive, capable of producing 400 hp (298 kW), 600 N⋅m (443 lbf⋅ft) of torque and 240 mi (386 km) of range. A second battery pack with a capacity of either 100kWh or 130kWh with all-wheel drive can also be equipped, which combined will produce 1,000 hp (746 kW) and 400 mi (644 km) of range. The most powerful version of the Air will be able to accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 2.5 seconds.[3] In their most recent performance test, the Lucid Air achieved a top speed of 235 mph (378 km/h).[7] According to Lucid, the production model of the Air will be capable of a top speed over 200 mph if equipped with dual motors.[3]

Lucid Air has a rated energy efficiency of 21.4kWh/100 km, equivalent to 2.4 litres/100 km in fuel.[8]

Edna

In 2016, Lucid created a prototype of its electric powertrain for the Lucid Air using batteries from its former brand, Atieva. Known as “Edna”, the electric powered delivery van contained two gearboxes and motors capable of storing 87 kWh of energy, and producing over 900 hp (671 kW). Combined with all-wheel drive, other physical and software updates, “Edna” was able to achieve a 0-60 mph (97 km/h) time of 2.74 seconds and quarter mile time of 11.3 seconds.[9] According to Lucid Motors, “Edna” was used to test the performance and real world functionality of its powertrain, including “motor control algorithms, regenerative braking behaviours, accelerator pedal feel, and cooling strategies”.[10]

Laguna Seca - In 2018, Lucid Motors set a new record with the Air, achieving a time of 1:39.30

Laguna Seca

In 2018, the Lucid Air set an EV production lap record of 1:41.67, beating the Jaguar I Pace by seven seconds, previously holding a record of 1:48.18.[11] Featured as a prototype, the Air was equipped with "Pirelli P Zero PZ4 summer tyres, modified high temperature brake pads and fluid, a 6 point roll cage and fire suppression system".[12] According to Lucid, these modifications had little impact on the production weight of the car, differing only a few percent.

Production

In 2018, Lucid Motors closed a $1 billion investment deal with Saudi Arabia to fund the Air's production, which is expected to commence in late 2020 following the construction of its factory in Casa Grande, Arizona.[13] The factory's total investment is expected to amount to $675 million by 2025 when all phases are complete, with the first phase including a $168 million investment in equipment and $82 million property investment.[14]

Charging

Lucid Motors will offer a nationwide charging plan to customers in the US through its joint agreement with Electrify America,[15] for a 900 volt system.[16] In the first phase of its construction, Electrify America will offer “more than 2,000 fast charging stations over 500 sites, spread out across 40 states and 17 major metropolitan areas”.[17] In an interview with Lucid Motors Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Peter Rawlinson recognised fast charging capability as a priority due to the emergence of more intense usage patterns and demand for “stop-and-go” fast charging as a result of time constraints amongst consumers.[18]

Lucid claims that its 2170 cells differ significantly from normal lithium ion cells due to their tolerance of repeated cyclic fast charging and non use for a prolong period of time without losing capacity.

Features

The base model will be equipped with a single motor, rear wheel drive setup, producing 400 horsepower and 240-mile range. According to Lucid Motors, other standard features include:

“LED headlights, all the necessary hardware for autonomous driving, four high resolution screens (three of which are touch sensitive) , 19 inch alloy wheels, 10 speaker sound system, 12-way power adjustment for the front seats, front and rear boots with a total luggage space of around 900 litres, and over the air software updates”. [3][19][20][21]    

The Lucid Air can be optioned with improved battery packs that will offer either 315 miles and 400 miles, as well as a dual motor, all-wheel drive powertrain producing up to 1000 horsepower for the top of the range. Other options for the car include:

“active suspension, a panoramic sunroof, executive rear seats that can recline up to 55 degrees, a 29 speaker sound system with noise cancellation, 21 inch alloy wheels, and front seats with heating, ventilation, dynamic bolsters, massage and 22 way electric adjustment”.[3][19][20]

The base Lucid Air can be reserved for 1 of 255 limited edition versions, which will come equipped with Lucid's dual performance motors and optional extras.[22]  

Air is available for pre-order in the United States and Canada. Whilst only available in these locations, Lucid aims to break into other markets in the near future, with a focus on China.[23] In an interview, Peter Rawlinson outlined that China would pose as a significant market for Lucid due to their intensive usage patterns, which the Air is best suited for.[18]

Vision

Lucid Motor's vision for the Air extends beyond the production and commercial release of the vehicle. In an interview, Peter Rawlinson outlined that the $100,000 plus vehicle can be seen as the first stage of a much bigger vision, which is to achieve a level of energy efficiency that combined with an ubiquitous fast charging network, will counteract the need for bigger sized batteries.[24] Rawlinson specified that Lucid aims to improve energy efficiency to 5 miles per kilowatt-hour as opposed to an average of 3 miles per kilowatt hour.[24] Rawlinson further outlined that the price of batteries is expected to drop to $100 per kWh within the next decade, which he believes will enable Lucid to produce a luxury EV for less than $30,000.[24]

References
  1. "How does the Lucid Air stack up against the competition?". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
  2. Lambert, Fred (2020-06-17). "Lucid Motors to unveil production Air electric car with pricing and specs on Sept 9". Electrek. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  3. "Lucid". Lucid. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  4. Lucid Motors (2017-04-14), Exploring Air: Space Reimagined, retrieved 2019-05-06
  5. "Lucid and Samsung SDI Strategic Partnership". Lucid Motors. 2016-12-06. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  6. Lucid. "Lucid Motors Teams With Samsung SDI To Develop Next-Gen Lithium-Ion Battery Cells". InsideEVs. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  7. Lambert, Fred (2017-07-10). "Lucid Motors hits 235 mph (378 km/h) top speed with its all-electric sedan". Electrek. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  8. "Lucid Air". EV Database. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
  9. "Edna Gets an Upgrade". Lucid Motors. 2016-10-11. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  10. "Introducing Edna". Lucid Motors. 2016-07-13. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  11. Dow, Jameson (2018-09-06). "Lucid Air prototype beats production Jaguar/Tesla EVs by ~7 seconds in Laguna Seca lap". Electrek. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  12. "Lucid Air Sets Laguna Seca Lap Time of 1:41.67". Lucid Motors. 2018-09-09. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  13. Hawkins, Andrew J. (2018-09-17). "Lucid Motors closes $1 billion deal with Saudi Arabia to fund electric car production". The Verge. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  14. "Casa Grande preparing for Lucid's high-dollar Arizona car factory". azcentral. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  15. Edelstein, Stephen. "Lucid Motors to Use Electrify America Charging Network". The Drive. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  16. Lambert, Fred (5 February 2020). "Lucid: Tesla hasn't cracked it, we can take it to whole new level of range and efficiency". Electrek.
  17. "Charged EVs | Lucid Motors to offer customers access to Electrify America's ultra-fast charging network". chargedevs.com. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  18. "Charged EVs | A look at Lucid Motors: Q&A with CTO Peter Rawlinson". chargedevs.com. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  19. "Lucid Air will significantly undercut Tesla Model S on price | CarAdvice". CarAdvice.com. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  20. "The Lucid Air electric car starts at just $60,000 – before tax credit". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  21. O'Kane, Sean (2017-03-16). "Lucid Motors' electric car will cost $60,000". The Verge. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  22. Blanco, Sebastian. "Lucid Air starts at $60,000, Launch Edition at over $100,000". Motor1.com. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  23. "Lucid Air On Sale Now For $68,000". www.carshowroom.com.au. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
  24. Air, Lucid. "Exclusive: Lucid Explains Long-Term Vision For Affordable Luxury EV". insideEvs.com. Retrieved 2019-05-25.
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