Lucid Motors promises its $100,000 luxury sedan will be 'the world's longest range electric vehicle,' with a range over 440 miles
- The Lucid Air, an electric luxury sedan made by Lucid Motors, may break Tesla's record for longest-range electric vehicle.
- In a teaser video released Friday, Lucid Motors promised a range of more than 441 miles, which would smash Tesla S's current record of 402 miles.
- Range remains a key selling point for consumers wary of moving away from internal combustion.
Lucid Motors will officially reveal the all-important range of its debut, luxury electric sedan on Tuesday, but apparently couldn't wait to begin boasting. In a teaser video posted to Twitter on Friday, the startup pitched the Lucid Air as "the world's longest range electric vehicle," capable of covering more than 441 miles between plug-in stops.
If Lucid can make good on that promise, its debut vehicle will not just beat, but smash the Tesla Model S's record of 402 miles. (Tesla has promised 500 miles for its Semi, though the 18-wheeler is yet to enter production.)
Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson, who led development of the Model S while working for Elon Musk, has said the Air will outmatch Tesla's sedan in terms of interior luxury, dash from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, and start at more than $100,000.
But when it comes to battery power, range remains a key selling point for consumers wary of moving away from internal combustion. Tesla made waves in June when it announced that the Model S had achieved an EPA-rated 402-mile range on a single charge. The company broke the 400-mile benchmark by decreasing the weight of the car, making aerodynamic changes, and maximizing regenerative braking.
Lucid credits the Air's 441-mile-plus figure, in part, to a drag coefficient of 0.21, which it calls the best in the industry (the Model S clocks a 0.23). The automaker's aerodynamics team, which includes Formula 1 veterans, created a design that smooths air that usually catches along wheel wells, and uses strategically-placed air intakes.
Lucid plans to reveal the final version of the car on September 9, and to begin production near the end of the year.