Sales may have commenced, but testing isn’t slowing down.
Lucid Motors, one of only a handful of electric mobility upstarts that show real promise, is continuing its warpath into becoming a thorn in Tesla’s side. Today at the ongoing New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), the Californian company treated visitors to footage of one of its testing cars going flat out at absolutely ludicrous speeds.
The vehicle featured in the film is what the company refers to as its “Alpha Speed Car,” designed to push the mechanics of the car to its very limits. The high-speed run was done with most of the interior finish removed and a roll-cage in place, and put things like the powertrain cooling package, aerodynamic setup, and overall stability at speed.
Chief technical officer Peter Rawlinson said that the test seen in the video was the first time Lucid had taken an Air out for a high-speed run, and was overjoyed with the results. “We’re really thrilled about the stability,” Rawlinson said. “The car is rock solid, absolutely solid as a rock.” During the high-speed run, 350km/h was recorded on the telemetry, putting the Lucid Air alongside some of the very fastest cars in the world.
Why is that important, you ask? Lucid has high hopes for itself and its cars, and has established carmakers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi in its sights. As such, the company feels it’s crucial to be able to match the ability that its rivals tout when cruising down Germany’s unrestricted motorways. “There’s a hue luxury market which is dominated by the German companies - Mercedes, Audi, and BMW. That marketplace is worth (US)$100-billion a year. To be credible there,” Rawlinson explained, “we have to have a car that can run at autobahn speeds and compete with that set and show its credibility.”
While 350km/h is no mean feat, it seems that the Air had more to give. The chatty CTO said that the car was “software limited” to the speed it achieved, suggesting that the eventual top speed could be even more impressive. Its 745kW powertrain will be capable of hurtling the Lucid Air from rest to 100km/h in just 2.5-seconds, while boasting a range of around 640-kilometres.
We wait eagerly as the Lucid Air inches closer to production. In the meantime, you can read our article on its sales commencement here, and drool over our galleries below.
