This Alpha Speed Car’s on its A-game.
Back in April, we published a report on the Lucid Air hitting absolutely ludicrous speeds during tyre testing in Ohio. The “Alpha Speed Car” featured in that film was also testing things like high-speed stability, cooling, and aerodynamics, and the results they got from their 350km/h run gave them the ability to fine-tune the Air a little more and get it to go even faster.
“The first test exceeded our expectations,” goes the Lucid blog post on the subject. The first 350km/h run revealed that the self-levelling air suspension didn’t adjust quickly and readily enough at high speeds, and they noticed that the motor powering the front wheels was running far too hot than it should have. Knowing that, they updated the software for the air-suspension (improving responsiveness under heavy load), and they also rejigged the coolant flow and ventilation parameters. Lastly, more aerodynamic wheels were fitted, and the speed limiter was removed.
The morning of the second high-speed run revealed inopportune weather conditions, with the Transportation Research Centre’s oval bank drenched in rain. However, the track was dry by 11am, and so the Alpha Speed Car went back out and clocked an astonishing 235.44mph (or about 379km/h).
While 379km/h would be satisfactory for most companies, Lucid boasts that “it is not the final top speed for the Lucid Air,” suggesting that further improvements and refinements could reveal a higher maximum number. As for more practical issues, the entry-level Air should manage to do about 390km on a single charge, whereas a top-spec Air should be able to do 650km.
Read our previous articles on the Lucid Air here, and stay tuned to CarShowroom for more information as it comes.
