Ever since the market for electric vehicles began to take off in the second half of the past decade, the one thing holding the industry back was battery technology, specifically the range of batteries used.
Most gasoline combustion cars have a range of 300 to 400 miles on a full tank. Comparatively, the top-selling electric car in 2019, the Tesla Model 3, is within that range at 329 miles, but requires at least a 30-minute charge from a Tesla Supercharger to regain 50% power, and it refuels at only 14% per hour with a home charger. Meanwhile, Tesla’s new long-range Model S has a range of about 380 miles, recharging 50% in 20 minutes with a Tesla Supercharger, or 8 hours to fully charge at home.
Another automaker, Lucid Motors, is looking to make a splash when it debuts its first electric car. The Auburn Hills, Michigan-based company has revealed independent testing results of its new Lucid Air, showing that the all-electric sedan has an EPA-verified range of 517 miles on a single charge, or roughly the distance from New York City to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company said the results confirm that the Lucid Air is the longest range electric vehicle (EV) to date.
For context, nearly all of the vehicles available in Tesla’s portfolio have a range of between 300 and 380 miles, while the cars from the next closest EV competitors — Chevrolet, Jaguar, and Nissan — have yet to top the mid-200s. Meanwhile, most other carmakers that offer EVs are further behind the 200 miles and below range.
Lucid said the breakthrough range achievement was made possible by the company’s proprietary technology and precise engineering of all aspects of the Lucid Air’s performance and efficiency. That engineering involved an in-house drivetrain, the miniaturization and integration of the Air’s motors, transmission, and inverter, and the pairing with a 900-plus volt architecture.
“Range and efficiency are widely recognized as the most relevant proof points by which EV technical prowess is measured,” commented Lucid Motors chief executive and chief technology officer Peter Rawlinson, in a press release. “A few years ago we revealed our alpha prototypes of the Lucid Air and promised over 400 miles range; a reflection of our technology at that time. In the intervening period, we have achieved a series of technological breakthroughs, culminating in an unsurpassed degree of energy efficiency.”
Lucid said it will debut the production version of the Lucid Air via an online reveal on Sept. 9, during which more details about the vehicle’s production specifications, available configurations, and pricing will be shared for the first time.
