cars news 10: Lucid Motors Air Sedan Promises 1,000 HP, Up to 400-Mile Range

Lucid Motors has revealed its production car, which we now know will be called the Air. As we’ve known for some time now, the upcoming electric vehicle is a sedan with an unusual clamshell trunk. What else do we know about it? How about its battery pack capable of supporting 1,000 hp and a range of up to 400 miles, for starters.

Lucid says the Air uses a proprietary drivetrain that integrates an electric motor and transmission into one system. The drivetrain was developed in-house, and is “smaller, more efficient, and more power-dense than competitors,” according to Lucid. The company also says the system could be more reliable, too. The battery pack took a claimed 10 years to develop, and utilizes a unique chemistry that is said to be more tolerant of repeated fast-charging. Lucid claims “best-in-class energy density” for its battery pack, though EV startup rival Faraday Future has said the same thing about its batteries developed with help from LG Chem. Lucid has partnered with Samsung SDI for its packs.

Lucid Motors Air front headlight details

The car sports a narrow front headlight and “grille” area, and uses an ultra-slim lighting system that’s said to be 50 percent more energy-efficient than the conventional LED headlights of today. The system imitates insect eyes with thousands of micro-lenses that can adjust the beam for any driving situation.

The Air’s interior looks executive-ready, with its reclining rear seats and screens that fold down to become tables. Lucid has said that its battery pack arrangement would allow for interior space comparable to full-size luxury sedans, despite the Air being closer in size to a Mercedes E-Class. Like most other futuristic EVs on the horizon, the Air will be capable of autonomous driving. Few details were given at the car’s reveal, but Lucid says all its vehicles will be delivered “autonomous-ready with a comprehensive sensor suite able to scale to complete autonomy through ongoing software upgrades.”

That’s all the info Lucid has released thus far. Hopefully we’ll know more soon, possibly at CES next month, when Faraday Future will also show its production EV.

Source: Lucid Motors