Lucid Air is the world's most aero-efficient luxury car
Lucid Motors' debut Air model has recently achieved a coefficient of drag of 0.21 after completing tests at Windshear’s advanced rolling-road wind tunnel in North Carolina, one of the most advanced automotive wind tunnels in the world. With a verified Cd of 0.21, Lucid Air becomes the world’s most aero-efficient luxury car.
Lucid says establishing aero-efficiency has been a core tenet of the company from its very inception. This is especially important for an electric vehicle in order to increase its range and performance. Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Motors said in a press statement, "(Aerodynamics) is particularly valuable to an EV in that it provides smart range independent of battery pack size."
To achieve this benchmark of aero-efficiency, Lucid Air has been designed with functional surfaces and details that work together to guide air efficiently through and around the car. This includes side air intakes in the front fascia that smooth airflow around the typically turbulent wheel wells, aerodynamically optimized wheel designs, and vents in the hood that channel air smoothly around the flanks of the car.
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Beneath the skin, the Lucid Air features a patented vortex-generating air intake system behind the front bumper. This system maximizes cooling performance by uniformly distributing air on heat exchange surfaces while minimizing the size of the air intake aperture, further increasing aero-efficiency.
Other features that contribute to the car's aerodynamic efficiency include the uninterrupted smooth undersurface curves progressively upward towards the rear to form an aerodynamic diffuser. Also, the very shape of the battery pack also enhances the car’s aerodynamics.
All of this has contributed to the Air achieving a range of over 400 miles on public roads at highway speeds. "Range and performance are usually perceived as mutually exclusive, but a focus upon key efficiency determinants such as aerodynamics can truly benefit both", said Rawlinson.
Production of the Lucid Air will begin in late 2020 in Lucid’s new factory in Casa Grande, Arizona. The company says the car will be capable of over 400 miles range and 0-60 mph in under 2.5 seconds. The production version of the luxury EV will debut in an online reveal on September 9, 2020, revealing details about production specifications, available configurations and pricing.
